League's Inferno
by AlwaysBetOnVoid
Summary: Dante Alighieri knows what its like to be completely displaced from his home...from Beatrice, and now, Lucifer's done it again by tearing open a portal in time and space to fling him into another world. Now, Dante must travel around this strange new place to try and find a way home. But watch out Dante! Some of these Noxians and Demacians have their eyes on you!
1. Dropping In

**A story I've been thinking about for a while, let me know what you think. Dunno how many chapters it will be.**

* * *

**Sometime between 1182-1192 A.D.**

**Hell, Lake Cocytus **

Lucifer refused to believe this was the end. No, he had worked an eternity for this goal and he would not let some damned, foul, and repetant human soldier ruin it for him, no, Dante Alighieri with his blind faith would soon know the pain the Lucifer had for thousands of years.

"Insolent Creature!" he roared as he swung his daemonic blade at Dante, who blocked it with the scythe he stole from Death.

Dante in turn whipped the blade around with suprising speed and delt a blow to Lucifer's mid-section, causing him to grunt as the blade's deadly edge came across him. "I grow tired of this game!" Lucifer said again as he summoned a firey ball of energy and flung it at Dante, blasting him across the Lake.

"You will never leave this place, not in a thousand lifetimes!" cried the holy warrior as he leaped back at Lucifer, reverting the scythe back to a single line and slamming it down in front of the Daemon Prince, knocking him back.

Lucifer snarled and teleported away so that he floated above the lake, "Remember the war in heaven! Remember the Rebellion!" he said as he wove his arms above him and focus blasted the Lake's inner circle, causing icy platforms to rise to signal Lucifer's intent to escape the Inferno.

Dante thought quickly, grappling the underside of each platform one after the other in a circle around the oblivious Lucifer until finally he extened the scythe directly into Lucifer's chest, causing him to flail around in pain.

Lucifer tried to blast away the human with unholy fire balls but Dante easily evaded them. Dante then brought himself to the Chaos Lord and slammed Beatrice's shining cross in his face, causing them both to tumble down through the air and hit the lake with a gargantuan explosion.

About a half an hour later, the two were resting-somehow able to agree to a standstill for the time being. When Dante attempted to retrieve the scythe that was impaled in Lucifer's chest, the daemon spoke.

"Wait! There's just one last...minor detail with which I ought to make you familiar." he smiled as he waved his arm in the direction of Lake Cocytus' inner circle.

Dante's face formed a frown as he continued to walk to Lucifer and he yanked the scythe out of Lucifer's chest and attach it to his back, causing Lucifer to snarl in hatred.

Dante walked over and watched as the pool reverted itself to show him standing in the courtyard in Jerusalem, where he encountered death. His heart sank as he watched the Muslim assassin, the one that had killed Beatrice and his father, stab him in the back. But instead of encountering the grim reaper, Dante's body stumbled forward until he collapsed on his stomach

Dead.

"It...can't be." Dante whispered.

"You're dead Dante." laughed Lucifer behind him. Dante turned to face him as he continued, "You can't go anywhere, not a single soul may leave this place. It is forbidden...by him." he said, pointing upward.

Lucifer leaned down and snarled, "I am so sick of you." he said as he walked to the center of the lake, "I will reclaim my rightful place in paradise...My path will be paved with the sins of man, and yours, Dante, shall be the bedrock of my return, and all that is good...shall be gone from the universe forever!" he laughed as he raised his arms in triumph.

Dante, in deep thought, turned to face the gloating daemon and spoke, "Not yet, I have collected many souls on this pilgrimage, souls that I have freed from this inferno and together...they now posses the power to free me! Father...Mother! Brothers! Absolve me!" he said as the red cross on the human's chest turned white with holy energies, finally bursting forth with the souls that Dante absolved.

For only the second time in his life, Lucifer felt fear.

"This power Dante, we can use it together! You and I friend, just think what we could achieve!" he stumbled.

Dante was still, "I would rather not." he murmured.

Lucifer was becoming more angry and fearful, "Dante, I can reunite you with your Beatrice, together, we will rule the three kingdoms of the afterlife!" he said.

"Its not going to happen." Dante snarled.

That finally set Lucifer off, "I gave you a chance to join me Dante Alighieri, you still fail to realize the powers that you are confronted with! And now, you will pay the next price!" he roared as he unleashed a chaotic sphere, driving the souls away to a safe distance.

In his solitude, Lucifer had time to contemplate his daemonic powers, and test others, and there's was no better time to test them then now, when the final blow could be struck to either party.

Dante reared back, Beatrice's cross beginning to glow again. Lucifer formed a dark purple ball of energy in his right hand, "If I go down, I'll make sure you never reach that girl for all of eternity!" roared Lucifer as he flung the ball of energy at Dante.

"Never!" Dante said as he blasted Lucifer away and into the belly of his larger, winged form. However, it was not over. Dante dodged the ball of energy but Lucifer had not intended for it to hit the human. Instead, it exploded behind him and formed a massive black hole.

The hole in time and space was pulling on everything in sight, the absolved souls had just finished entombing Lucifer's bat-body more into the ice when the rupture easily pulled on them, grabbing them hungrily and swallowing them in the abyss.

"No!" screamed Dante as he began to lose his footing.

In front of him, Lucifer roared with laughter, "May you rot in internal suffering Dante Alighieri, never to see the light of Beatrice or God!"

"No! Not when I was so close!" he said as he slammed the scythe into the ice, intent on riding out the storm. "Foolish human!" laughed Lucifer, "Even I do not know the forces with which I have conjured."

Dante gritted his teeth when suddenly the scythe tore back on the ice, flinging both it and Dante into the dark portal. The last thing Dante saw was Lucifer's three heads smiling and laughing.

"BEATRICE!" Dante screamed, but it was to no avail. The portal swallowed him just as easily as it had the absolved souls.

Dante tumbled through an abyss of all different lights and colors, and he felt a terrible burning sensation all over him, like a thousand knives digging into him. He screamed in anger and frustration as the abyss whipped him around like a rag doll.

Then, Dante began to see shapes and forms in the tunnels. He couldn't make them out, but he began to hear terrible and animalistic roars and groans. There was the sound of a girl screaming, which Dante recognized as he still tumbled.

"LUCIFER! What have you done you foul creature!" he roared, but there was no reply.

Suddenly, a human form appeared right in front of Dante, he gasped in suprise. Was it the Muslim assassin? No, this human was clothed in purple and blue garments with a hood and facemask, the only part Dante could see clearly was its terrible glowing turqoise eyes.

It, or rather he grabbed ahold of Dante and stared deep into his eyes when suddenly it spoke with an ominous voice, "EMBRACE THE VOID!" The other-worldly being then disappeared into the abyss, leaving Dante to scream and tumble again.

"BEATRICE!" Dante roared again, but nothing appeared to be helping.

He then noticed that the abyss around him was beginning to lighten, and turn white, Dante angled himself downwards so he could see what was happening when suddenly the abyss disappeared and he found himself flying through...air?

Dante gritted his teeth as he was bombared by the wind and clouds. He had no clue where in the inferno he was. Suddenly, he broke through the cloud cover and found himself staring a swirling blue wall. Only, it wasn't a wall.

It was an ocean.

As Dante realized this, he closed his eyes, and prepared himself for a fate he knew not of.

He flew downwards and impacted the water, creating a plume of water that flew unnaturally high, visible for over a hundred miles.

Dante's vision immdiately went black.

* * *

Over the next few hours, he faded in and out of conciousness, his head throbbing and muscles screaming in pain. Death's scythe seemed to be able to hold his weight in the water as he rested his head on the blade. In nearly full armor, he felt the pressure of the sun bearing down on him.

He didn't want to think about where he was, or how he got there, only an image of his beloved Beatrice occupied his mind, and to his bewilderment, she appeared right in front of him, seemingly walking on the water like Christ.

"B-B-Beatrice?" he muttered, reaching out towards her.

Beatrice was smiling, but at the same time beginning to fade, much to the despair of Dante.

Suddenly, she dissappeared all together, and a large brown object took her place. Dante would have recognized the design anywhere, a ship. He knew that whoever was on that ship would not see him until after it ran him over.

Summoning what strength he had left, he grabbed the scythe, attached it to his back and began to swim out of the direction of the oncoming ship. When his strength finally left him, he wondered if he had actually done anything to help his condition as he lay face first in the salty water.

"Beatrice..." he thought as he closed his eyes for what he thought was the final time.

* * *

Dante awoke violently, he gurgled up salt water that had lodged itself in his body when he lay in the water, but the most suprising fact was that he was able to do it all. He realized he lay on solid wood.

_The ship_

His body still screamed for him to remain on the floor but instead he summoned his ailing strength to get on his hands and knees. But before he could fully do so, he felt a cold object on the back of his head through his chain mail.

"Make one or' move ya git and I'll put ah round through ur head." said a crude voice.

Dante knew he was no longer in the inferno he had fought so hard to pass through, but nevertheless he obeyed the words of the person behind him. He suddenly realized that Death's scythe was no longer on his back.

"The Captain requests that you remain ere' till' you git ur strength back, _then _we'll talk okay lundlubber?" said the voice. Dante had traveled with sailors before and the one talking him was no different. Thinking of nothing else, he collapsed back on the floor.

After what he thought was a few hours later he awoke again, however this time he felt somewhat better, the saltwater was mostly gone, his armor was dry, but he still felt incredibly weak.

"Alright landlubber, you can git up now." said the same voice, appartently it had been watching him.

Dante slowly got on his hands and knees before he flipped himself over and laid his back against the mast of the ship. The person speaking to him was and older man with gray hair and missing teeth, typical crude sailor's clothes and striking blue eyes.

"W-Wh-Where am I?" Dante grumbled.

"Where are you?" the man laughed, "You my friend are on the _Pride of Bounty_, finest ship of her class, used to be called the _DSS Excursion _before dem Shadow people killed the crew. Then they left it ripe for the picking!" he laughed again.

"I-I don't understand." replied Dante.

"Course ya don't! Wadda think this is? Some Demacian palace? Look at ya, wouldn't be suprised if you were one of them Dauntless Vanguard." he said.

"What? I know not what you speak of. I need to speak to your captain." he said, trying to get up.

However, the man's somewhat friendly attitude immediately turned cold as he whipped out an object Dante had never seen before, "Like I said, make one or' move and I'll put ah round through ya."

Dante didn't know what the sailor was pointing at him, but chose to believe it was some sort of ranged weapon, and he slid back down the mast.

"I"ll decide when you get to see da-

"GIBBS!" roared a voice.

The suddeness of the voice seemed to scare the man out of his wits. Dante looked around the man to see a slender female of red hair and striking beauty stand behind him. Dante banished all thoughts of those, he was faithful to Beatrice and Beatrice alone.

The woman wore some sort of hat and leggings and skimpy white cover on her chest, she also had two of the same weapons that Gibbs had attached to her sides.

"I believe my orders were clear, if the prisoner is awake, and can move, send him over to me." the woman growled.

"Yes Captain but I-

"Well?" said the woman, her voice raised.

"Yes Captain, yes, those were your orders." stammered the man as he waved Dante over to the woman.

Dante looked at Gibbs, and then at the woman, who was now staring at him with a face that screamed seduction. Dante knew all too well of that face and he immediately disregarded it. He got up, armor and all and walked over to the woman.

"Follow me cutie." said the woman, much to Dante's confusion.

As he followed her into what he assumed was the captain's quarters, he heard Gibbs yelling at the rest of the crew to get back to work. The pair entered the room and Dante was struck by the sheer amount of gold, weapons, and other items that filled the room-reminding him of the circle of greed in the Inferno.

"This way." said the woman as the took a left into another room. This one looked like the true quarters, with a large bed and dining hall. Dante shivered at the circumstances with which he was surrounded.

"Have a seat, want a drink?" she asked. Dante shook his head as he sat down, staring straight in front of him until the woman sat down across from him. They were staring at each other for a couple seconds before a glint of light caught Dante's eye behind the woman.

His scythe! Sitting against the wall

When he looked back, he saw the woman pointer her weapon at him, "Man I ain't as dumb as you think I am." she smiled.

"How the hell did you end up in the ocean anyway? Shadow people kill your people and your boat? Or did you think you could swim forever?" she asked, however Dante's eyes kept switching from the woman to the scythe.

The woman knew this as she leaned back and grabbed the scythe, putting it on the table before her. "I must say, you got a fancy taste in melee weapons, kind of looks like Hecarim's scythe, boy did I feel that when he swung that thing."

The woman looked up to see Dante staring at her with a blank face, "You have no idea what I'm talking about do you."

Dante finally spoke, "I do not."

"Alright lets start this way, what's your name?"

"Dante Alighieri."

"Where you from?"

"Will you follow me home?" Dante shot back.

"What?"

"I answered your first question, now you answer mine, if I tell you where I live, will you follow me home?" he asked,

The woman burst out laughing, "Who do you think I am some sort of assassin? What do you take me for? I only go on land at Bilgewater or for the League." she laughed.

Dante ignored her laughter, "The last person who followed me home beat me to it and murdered my wife and father." he said coldly.

That shut her up good.

"Alright, Alright, let's not have any hard feelings between us, I don't want to have to dump you back where we found you, lets pick up where we left off, where are you from?"

"Florence, Italia." he replied.

The women raised an eyebrow, "Never heard of it, what part of Valoran is that?"

Dante raised an eyebrow as well, "Valoran?"

"Yah, Valoran, the main continent?" she said, pointing to the far wall where a map was illuminated. Dante got up and headed over to it where he traced his hand over the map. It was nothing like the Europe and Middle East that he knew.

"No...No...its not possible." he murmured.

"What's not possible?" asked the woman.

Dante whipped around to face her, "When you found me, what else did you find? Anything?"

The woman shook her head, "Nothing, although we did see a giant plume of water appear out of nowhere, I guess that's how we came about you." she said.

It all made sense to Dante now, he didn't want to believe it, but was forced to as his heart sank. Lucifer must have conjured foul energies that transported him to some other world, myths and nightmares that his mother used to warn him about.

And now, that nightmare was coming true.

Dante sank to his knees and began to weep.

"Hey! None of that, what kind of guy which a cross stiched on his chest and carrying a massive scythe cries?" said the woman.

Dante removed his hands from his face and stared at the woman, "One who is not of your world."

"What in the hell are you talking about? Man did you hit your head or something cause right now you're-

"Enough!" roared Dante as he stood up to full height, causing the woman again to point the weapon at his chest, "I was nice enough to fish you out of the water, bring you in here, and have a nice heart to heart conversation but no, you have to be a little prick with me." she growled.

Dante looked at her and then hung his head, "You are right, please forgive me." he said.

The woman smiled and holstered her weapon, "Good boy." she said as they both sat down again. Since Dante knew he was no longer in the same world that he was born in, he figured it was safe to tell the woman everything he had done and encountered, not like it mattered anyway.

When he was done, the woman leaned back in her seat, "Well, that's some tale, I'd like to think its complete BS but the fact that you look like this..." she said, waving her hand at him, "...makes me believe you."

"I thank you for that, and for...rescuing me." said Dante.

"That aside, what do you plan on doing now?" she asked.

Dante hung his head again, "I know not, but, if you have any kindless left in you, I would like you drop me off on the mainland." he said. The question hung in the air for a bit before the woman smiled, "I'd be happy to oblige, not just because I think you're handsome, but I think you're giving my crew the shivers." she said.

He smiled weakly at her compliment before she said, "You can sleep in the storage room for tonight, lucky for you we are actually heading back to port."

"I appreciate your offer, but I'd like to gaze at the stars tonight." he replied.

The woman, impressed by his reply, said, "Go right ahead."

Dante got up, again turning his attention to the scythe. The woman shook her finger at him, "Ah, ah, ah, you can have that when we get back to port." Dante felt safer with the weapon around but obeyed.

He was about to walk out the door when he turned around to the woman, who was drinking some alcohol right out of the bottle, "I never asked for your name." he said. The woman smiled and said, "What a nice boy, you know your the first guy not to ask it with the scent of booze on your breath?"

The woman said, "Fortune, Captain Sarah Fortune is the name, thank _you _for asking cutie."


	2. Scythe-Wielding Noxian Killer

**I'M BBBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCC CCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK**

**But seriously you guys don't deserve to wait so long, I can't begin to apologize for not updating cuz literally I'm having a tough time figuring out the plot. I know the ending, just how I'm going to get there is the problem. But at least I have a general idea of the beginning chapters (Probably 1-7 or 8) and the ending chaps, (Probably 18-22 or 23). However, if one or more of you readers is more than willing to help me map out my plot, I welcome all the help I can get.**

**Now without further due, Chapter 2. Expect updates to be long (I know life sucks). However, now that I'm on spring break and hopefully summer, updates will hopefully for all my stories become shorter.**

**All events take place after the last Journal of Justice Issue**

**The summary to the story has been completely revamped, check it out.**

* * *

**1192 A.D. (22 CLE)**

Dante watched from his perch on the lookout's nest on the Man of War _Pride of Bounty _as it pulled into Bilgewater, captained by whom Dante had learned was an infamous yet seductive female bounty hunter by the name of Sarah Fortune, but she preferred he call her Miss Fortune.

"Bounty hunters." spat Dante, "Scum." Dante knew there were plenty of crusaders in King Richard's army that were not at alinged with God and had deserted at the first sign of trouble. Although bounty hunters stuck to their objectives, they did not sit well in Dante's heart.

He had pulled his chain mail back over his head and his crown of thorns still sat upon his head and ran down his nose. The armor pieces that went around his neck, shoulders, arms, and shins had also been provided by Miss Fortune after she had begun to trust him a little. Even though the crew was still a bit weary of a man with a giant flesh wound in the shape of a cross on his chest, Dante never had any trouble after the first day.

The red ribbons that wrapped around his arms and ended at the wrists flowed in the wind, and Dante could smell the disgusting stench of drunkedness coming from Bilgewater, oh how he hated it.

_Beatrice...your sweet scent is the only thing that can calm my senses...I promise I will see you again _he thought as he made the sign of the cross and kissed Beatrice's gift-her cross.

He looked up to see the ship slowing down as it entered Bilgewater, while not exactly a pleasant name, it was nevertheless a busy port town with man different types of ships coming and going, from tiny fishing boats to what appeared to Dante as a frigate.

Bilgewater had been built into the wall of a massive cliff, and it strecthed the shoreline for miles around. One of the biggest buildings in the center of the city had a large glowing blue crystal atop of it, adjacent to it was a tower with a smaller version of the crystal.

_Interesting, I wonder what that is?_

"Hey cutie!" yelled a familiar voice from below.

Dante sighed as he was forced to deal with Miss Fortune's rather unsettling name for him, "Yes Captain?" he replied.

"We're docking soon, thought you might wanna be down here when we do." she said as she again went about her business, whatever it was. Dante, although holding a little malice in his heart for bounty hunters, pirates, and murderers, he was thankful that this woman had not killed him, in fact, she seemed a little nicer whenever he was around.

It was still about another ten minutes before they docked, and Dante watched many ships leave the port. There was the occasional large trading vessel but the one that caught his attention the most was a ship larger than the _Pride of Bounty _on the same approach vector, and it was close enough for Dante to get a good view of it. It was shaped similar, but its black hull and sails indicated something far more...sinister.

On the main sail in the middle of the ship was a crest that looked like the skull of a creature with battle axes and spears behind it to add to its theme. Hooked underneath it was a chain that sported jewlery of sorts and a word.

Dante squinted a little to read it and was suprised that it looked exactly like English. In crude writing, it read-

**NOXUS**

Whoever this city-state was, they sure knew how to but an emphasis on power.

The infernal traveler raised his eyebrows as he scanned the ship over and suddenly found himself staring eye to eye with the ship's lookout directly across from him. The woman had dark green hair and wore typical sailors coats and trousers. He shivered as he saw her squint at him, studying the unusual man.

Dante averted his eyes from her and tried to concentrate on studying Bilgewater, no sooner had he done so when he felt a pesky glare on his eyes, he tried shifting away to the left but it followed him wherever he went, causing him to close his eyes in pain.

When it aleviated, Dante snapped his focus to the lookout on the Noxian ship. He snarled as he saw the lookout and her ship pulling ahead of the _Pride of Bounty_, allowing the woman to pull out a mirror and focus the sun on Dante's face. The woman was laughing herself to death.

_So...you want to play a game, well then...allow me to join _thought Dante as a smirk formed on his face. He continued dodging the woman's attempts to blind him as the two ships kept their pace.

Allowing the woman's arrogance to get the better of her, Dante slowly reached for Beatrice's cross on his right waist line, he held it to his side as he clenched it and allowed his feelings to charge it up.

_Beatrice...forgive me for having a little fun _thought Dante as he placed the cross in front of his chest, where the woman couldn't see it as she continued laughing. Suddenly, a cross-shaped light form sprouted out of the cross with blinding speed and sped its way across the distance between the two ships.

The woman didn't see the pulse cross until it was too late. The cross hit her square on, knocking the mirror out of her hands and off the lookout's nest. She fortunantly grabbed the net that led up to the nest as she looked around frantically. She had no idea what had just happened until she found herself looking at Dante.

He was laughing.

* * *

After the little bit of fun with the opposing lookout, Dante climbed down the net to the floor of the ship, where Miss Fortune and her first mate, Joe Gibbs were waiting.

"Here." said Fortune as she tossed him a large black overcoat.

"What's this for?" Dante asked.

"I think you'll draw too much attention to yourself, you'd be asking for a duel with some drunk or pirate." she turned her head to face him.

Dante narrowed his eyes, "I'm quite capable of taking care of myself, I fought through-

Miss Fortune held up a single finger, silencing Dante just by the gesture alone, "Yeah, whatever, listen buddy I don't plan on being your babysitter the entire time so I'll tell you what, I'll find you a map and nice cold drink and then we'll go our seperate ways. Kapishe?"

"What?"

"Nevermind, do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good boy."

Dante pulled back the chain mail and crown on his head, revealing his short black hair. He pulled the coat over his bare skin and found it suprisingly smooth inside. He buttoned it up to make sure none of his chest was visible. There was a shudder as the ship came to a stop at its docking place and the crew made the necessary arrangements to hold the ship to the dock.

Something sent a shiver down Dante's spine, causing him to turn around and look back at the Noxian ship that had docked only about thirty yards from them. Even from a long way off, Dante could see the lookout pointing at him to her crewmates, wildly exclaiming about something.

Miss Fortune noticed his gaze, "Friends of yours?"

"We just met."

"Careful around Noxians, they don't exactly like to be poked around." she said with a stern face.

"Noted."

The redhead rolled her eyes as her crew extended a boarding plank to the dock in order to get off the ship. Dante followed her to the captain's quarters where she held his scythe, sure enough, it hadn't moved since the first day he'd been on the ship.

She grabbed it for him, suddenly shuddering at the material it was made out of-a spine and bones of sorts. The razor sharp blade at the top looked as clean as ever. "You got anyway to hide this? Like I said..."

"I know." said Dante as he took his scythe from her, he held it in both hands at both ends as he examined the long spine. Summoning his strength, he pushed as hard as he could and the spines shifted together one at a time until they molded into one spine and the top and bottom bones. He attached the shrunken scythe to his back so that the scythe rested against his head, he then pulled over his coat.

"I guess it'll have to do. Let's go." said Fortune.

The pair walked out of the quarters, off the ship and onto the dry docks, where workers and crew members alike worked tirelessly in various tasks, some of them stole prolonged glances at Dante before getting back to work.

"They can still see right through me." said Dante as the walked towards town.

"What are they going to do? Fight you?" asked Fortune.

"It would be their funeral." replied Dante.

"I think I would agree with you." she said.

The unusual pair of the universal traveler and the bounty hunter continued into the streets of Bilgewater, and Dante was reminded of the all too familar scent of sin in the air. Drunkedness, lust, greed...he could sense it all around him and he simply wished to cleanse himself of it.

Fortune had noticed his discomfort, "Relax cutie, there isn't a person in this town who would pick a fight with you when they see what you're carrying on you're back."

Dante turned his gaze to her, causing her to narrow her eyes, "Well...there might be a couple people."

"I am a soldier of God, I was so close to redeeming myself...to escaping the Inferno and putting the Prince of Darkness back in his icy prison, and now I am returned to a place that reminds of it." he growled.

"Ah come on, I was born here. Even if your place isn't exactly a paradise its still you're home nonetheless." she sharply replied.

"Forgive me for insulting your home." he said.

"No need, sometimes I hate this place too." she said. "Here we are, _Happy Trigger Tavern_. I picked up my first bounty here, AHHHH, its good to be home." she breathed a sigh as she walked up to the closed door.

Dante looked around as Fortune knocked on the door and began conversing with the guard on the otherside. Normal citizens made up most of the passersby, but Dante began to notice people with clothing that mimicked the style of those aboard the Noxian ship, luckily they paid no attention to him.

Coming down the left of the street were two soldiers, whom he deduced were soldiers judging by the armor they wore. He was surprised that they wielded such insignificant short swords on their belts yet had golden and blue armor that was intricately trimmed to fit their bodies. The two men walked down the street behind him just as they passed a group of Noxian citizens. Dante heard the faint mumbling of curses between the two parties.

Interesting.

By that time, Miss Fortune was done speaking to the guard and the door opened to let the two of them in and the pair entered. Immediately Dante was hit with the smell of alcohol and liquor and the sound of music and laughter. It was also very humid and a heat wave passed over his body.

Fortune directed him to take a seat at a table for two while she ordered a beer for herself and a water for the vigilant Dante.

As the two sat down, Fortune spoke, "I'll have the bartender, James, hook you up with a map and a pack of supplies, that should be enough for a couple of days."

Dante looked back at her, eyes wide, suprised at what she was offering him.

Fortune noticed his wide eyes, "What?"

"I don't understand." Dante's gaze unwavering.

She raised her eyebrows, "Don't understand what?"

"You're a bounty hunter, hunting down whoever for whomever pays the most. You act outside the law and answer to no one but yourself. You're beauty most likely paralyzes whomever you're chasing and now you sit here before me." he said.

Dante hadn't noticed Fortune's eyes go wide.

"So why are you being so kind to me?" he asked.

"No, no, no, no...did you just call me-

Before Fortune could continue her sentence, a man in his 60s appeared beside their table wearing formal dress, a bow tie, and an apron. "Ah Sarah! How are you doing this fine afternoon? When Darrell came to me and said you were here I could hardly believe you'd gotten back so soon."

Fortune studdered between looking at Dante and the man before she said, "Oh yes. Hi James. Yes, turns out the rumors of a ghost on the water was just some demented old void cultist who thought he was tricky playing with tourists on the water about forty miles out. I'm going to hand him off to the Demacians once we get under way again."

The man nodded and his gaze turned to Dante, immediately turning from a smile to a blank face, he then turned back to Fortune, "You never told me you brought men home now Sarah."

Dante couldn't help but chuckle, causing Miss Fortune to angrily reply, "He's no one, I just found him out on the water with no boat and was kind enough to give him a lift back here okay?"

James held up his hands in defeat, "Hey, hey I didn't mean anything out of the ordinary okay? Calm yourself. Anyway...how are you sir? Sweet, James Sweet is the name and I'm the owner of _Trigger Happy Tavern_." said the man who stuck out his hand.

Dante was suprised at the man's kindness despite the town he was living in, but nonetheless shook his hand, "Alighieri, Dante Alighieri, pleased to meet you."

James smiled and gave the two their drinks and then returned to work, leaving the pair to stare awkwardly at one another once more. Dante was about to speak when Fortune placed her elbow on the table and pointed her finger at him, "Listen buddy, I heard what you said and that's your first strike, I'm not about to get soft on anyone while I'm still working." she growled.

Dante knew what she meant but was confused as to why she was angry, he did not press the matter any further so he said, "You didn't answer my question."

"What?"

"Why are you so kind to me?"

Fortune stared at him for a couple seconds before taking a breath and saying, "Who cares? Maybe I just thought that this cute guy need a little help out of the water." she smirked.

Dante rolled his eyes in amusement as Sarah held up her glass in the middle of the table, "How about a toast to lighten the mood a little huh? To living another day." she smiled. He was about to meet her glass but something about what she said suddenly panged him in the heart.

He was supposed to be dead, Beatrice was dead. His glass hung midway between himself and Fortune's, creating an awkward moment. She asked, "Something wrong?" He looked back at her and smiled, she had spared him these past few days, the least he could do was joing her in her celebration.

"To living another day." he said as the glasses clinked and he stared in shock as Fortune completely downed her glass in only a couple gulps. He quickly glanced at his water and began drinking it as fast as he could. However Fortune easily beat him in the race and smirked as he gasped for breath with his glass still half way full.

"No one beats the master." she laughed.

"It would appear so." said Dante, still in shock as he stared at her empty glass.

They continued to talk for another couple minutes simply about random topics that came to mind. Dante was about to ask a question about the history of the world he was in when he heard the door to the tavern open.

His head whipped around to face the newcomers as they entered. He felt his hands clench and his body tense up as he saw the Noxian crewmembers from the ship that had followed them into port walk into the tavern. The lookout was among them and as if my an overloading sense, she looked straight to her left to see her adversary sitting with Captain Fortune no more than eight yards away.

The two pairs of eyes met and both glared at each other. The two never took their eyes away from each other as the Noxian party of about ten took their seats down the Tavern closer to the bar.

"Helloooo? Anybody in there?" asked Fortune as she waved her hand in front of Dante, breaking his staring contest with the lookout.

"What?"

"Please do me a favor before we part ways." she asked with a frustrated voice.

"What does my safety or well-being have anything to do with your concern?" he suddenly snapped.

Fortune returned his rather rude remark with a glare and said, "Fine, see if I really do care."

Dante forced himself to sigh as he was once again verbally defeated, "What favor would you ask of me?" he asked. That seemd to bring Fortune out of her frustrated mood, "That you won't make too many enemies, because if you do, some of them might...oh I don't know...hire a certain redheaded bounty hunter to come deliver your ass into their hands."

The pair stared at each other again like that had done numerous times during the day before Dante simply nodded, but then he smirked, "Good luck."

Fortune, liking the game he was playing, "You've got dangerous eyes, I like that." she smiled right back. From then on the mood was light-hearted and Dante barely even glanced at the Noxian lookout about ten yards away on the other end of the tavern. She and her crewmembers were staring daggers at Dante.

A few hours later, Dante, James, and Miss Fortune found themselves at the back of the tavern exchanging words. "Here ya go, a map of Valoran to go along with food and water to last ya a couple of days. So Sarah, what got you interested in this guy?" asked James.

Fortune simply replied, "He's cute."

Dante stared at her, "When are you ever going to call me by my real name?" he asked.

"When I want to."

"I thought as much." replied Dante.

James said, "I doubt you're going to want to stay on Blue Flame Islands for the rest of your days, so why don't you give that map a look before heading over to the Ionian Embassy on the other side of the island. Its not far, only about a mile or two-shouldn't be a problem for a hulk of muscle such as yourself. The Ionians are really peaceful and benevolent people. I think what you're gonna want to do is head over to Ionia and see if you can't catch a ride to the mainland there. They shouldn't have a problem with that." he said.

Dante hefted the pack onto his shoulder and tucked the map into one of its pouches. He looked up at the two people from a world where he technically had no idea existed and was not supposed to belong. He didn't know how he had gotten here, but all that mattered is that if humans existed here, there was the slightest hope that at least one person in this world knew how to get him home.

"I can't thank both of you enough, I will also be in debt for the kindness you have treated me to. I know my story sounds like something conjured out of the mind of a mad man but it is the only thing I cling to in this world." he said.

Fortune said, "I wish it didn't have to be this way cutie, but we all have to go our seperate ways eventually." she said. At that moment, Dante shook both of their hands and with that final gesture he turned away and headed down the road to the shores where he would follow a trail to the other side of the island.

He hadn't gotten five feet when Fortune said, "Hey Dante!"

Suprised that she had acutally used his name for once, he turned around and looked at her. She said, "If you ever...you know...If your journey doesn't exactly go the way as planned, there's always an open spot on the _Pride of Bounty_ for another crew member."

Dante smiled, but he knew he would stop at nothing to get back to Beatrice, but he was touched by her offer, "Thank you, it will be considered." and with that he turned away from James and Sarah for a final time.

The pair watched Dante's form disappear over the horizon of the street and towards the docks. "You really took an interest in that guy? Why? What do you see in him that nobody else has?" asked James.

Sarah smiled, "I saw guilt, something you don't see even in Demacians. Its a shame, he would have made an excellent partner." she said.

* * *

The sun was setting and Dante guessed it was apprpoaching six o'clock judging by the position of the sun in the sky. He had made it about a mile towards his destination on the other side of the island Bilgewater was on.

Suprisingly, the plateau that was above Bilgewater was relatively peaceful with an ocean of green grass flowing in the wind, contrary to the state that Bilgewater was in. He decided to check his map to make sure where he was.

Before he could even reach around to look into his pack, he noticed many, many dark forms on the horizon in front of him, traveling on the same trail as he was but coming right at him. Instictively, he looked back and a shiver ran up his spine as about even more forms approaching from behind.

Dante looked at the sun, it wasn't setting fast enough.

As the forms got closer, he could tell who they were and he began to clench his fists. So the Noxian crewmembers had come to settle this once and for all. Dante had to give them credit that they looked after their own.

Dante made no move to run away as the thirty Noxians soon surrounded him, dressed in various dark robes and sailors garments. Their faces told of battles long gone and fights that we're relatively fresh. Some of them wore hats while others displayed their rather bright or dark hair.

He came face to face with the woman who had been tormenting him earlier today. The Noxian woman was about a head shorter than him but that didn't seem to stop her from talking as if she was bigger than him.

"So what are you? Bilgewater? Ionia? Gods help you if you say Demacia." she said.

"What do you want?" he asked suddenly.

"That was a pretty cool trick you pulled out there. I was only trying to have a little fun but no...you have to take way farther than it needs to be and nearly kill me and let me tell you, striking me is striking Noxus, and we Noxians are strong." she smirked.

Dante noticed many of the crewmembers hands going to their sides.

"It doesn't have to end like this. You can still turn around and walk away, and nothing will come of this." he said, which was met by laughter by the Noxians.

"I say you're a Demacian, that's it boys. Sick him." she said as she backed away. Suddenly leaving the largest of the men, literally a giant that stood about a head taller than Dante-roared and brought a massive club to bear.

But Dante had face down Daemons before, this man was but an ant in his eyes. He quickly shrugged off his coat, revealing the bloody red cross that had been stiched into his chest. He pulled his chain mail over and his crown of thorns on his head even as the man swung at him, he easily avoided hit.

He smiled as the slow giant struggled to hit him with his club and in only a minute was heaving like an exhausted runner. When the man's club hit the ground, Dante rushed at him and brought the man's head, who was slouched over into his armored knee, smashing his nose and leaving him to roll around on the ground in pain.

To say that the surrounding Noxians weren't shocked was an understatement, they were bewildered at the man who had just taken down their strongest crewmember in a little over a minute.

Dante could sense the hesitation in the woman's voice as she spoke, "I...I was thinking about just giving you a good beating, but you seem to want more, that's it. I want him dead."

It was at the moment that she said "dead" that something in Dante's mind clicked. He had to make a decision based on whether or not he wanted to see Beatrice again. He closed his eyes as time seemed to slow down and he went deep into thought. He didn't really know who the Noxians were, only that they seemed to hate Demacians and now, Dante himself. They looked like nothing more than brutes, savages, and ill-logical people. And now, they were perfectly capable of "killing" him.

Did he really want to do what he thought he was going to do? He would definitely go against the favor that Miss Fortune had made him promise, but he doubted he would ever see her again.

These men wanted to kill him. He could see it in their eyes, all the sins they've committed were vague to him, but he could tell that behind each of those Noxians hid a sinning mind.

It was at that point, that Dante made his desicion.

He looked up.

He did not see the human Noxians dressed in black garments and clothing, but demented, disgusting, and horrifying looking daemons and minions of damned souls. Their bodies broken behind belief, hairless, screeching obcenities at him as their bloodthirsty swords drew closer.

It was at that moment, that the Noxians were no different than the souls of the damned he had fought in the Inferno.

All of the Noxians charged him from all different directions, they would reach him in three seconds. In a lightning fast movement Dante's hand shot to his back and grabbed the shrunken scythe. He quickly brought it out in front of him and pulled it apart, extending it to its full length. The Noxians either didn't care or didn't notice.

A man with a short sword reached him first, he jumped up and hoped to bring it own on Dante's head, but found himself suspended in the air and instantly dead with Death's scythe protruding from his back, Dante flung the body into an oncoming group.

He swung the Scythe in a complete arc, cleaving the stomachs of about five men, allowing their innards to spill all over the ground. He commanded the scythe to switch from curved to straightforward. He found himself charging a man in front of him and drove the blade into his unarmored chest. Dante brought it back and thrust it forward again and again before he gave one last heave and threw the man back.

He grasped the scythe with both hands and swung around just in time to meet the axe of another man, blocking it firmly. Dante's strength however far outclassed the Noxian's, so he threw him to the ground and stabbed the scythe into his back.

Again he swung the Scythe in an arc and cleaved the heads off about six more men. He ran forward and swirled the scythe around in a brilliant dance of death, ripping the limbs and heads off many and staining the ground with a lake of blood.

He heard a roar from behind him as a man rushed at him wielding only a knife. With a mighty battle cry, Dante swung the scythe 180 degrees above him and brought it down on the man's head, killing him instantly.

Suddenly, Dante realized that there were no more Noxians standing and he looked around to find all of them either in pieces or groaning in pain. He found the lookout crying on the ground and walked over to her. In the chaos of the slaughter, Dante apparently had cut her left hand off.

She looked up at Dante with complete fear in her eyes, she frantically spoke as she huddled her maimed hand against her, "Please! Have...Mercy! Please! Don't kill me!" she wailed.

Dante moved his scythe so that its blade hovered mere inches from her nose, "No! No! Please don't!" she cried.

But Dante never moved, instead, he drew the scythe back and attached it to his back, he kneeled down in front of the woman and grasped her chin and brought it to his face-so close that he could practically feel the fear she radiated.

"If you or your friends ever decide to follow me or confront me again, this very same situation will happen again, and again...and again." he said before he threw the woman back down onto the ground, leaving her to whimper and cry.

He kicked away the limbs and bodies of the dead Noxians on his way to his pack and simply picked it up and continued walking towards the Ionian embassy. Leaving the scene of a hellish slaughter behind him.


	3. Bloody Seas

**Truthfully, I think, Dante would pentakill all day long, what do you think? All rights go to Dante's Inferno and Riot Games. I only own OC's**

* * *

**1192 A.D. (22 CLE)**

_**In other news, Valoran stands in a state of fragile peace after the incident with Institute of War High Councilor Heywan Relivash and Journal of Justice Senior Editor Ralston Farnsley that nearly sparked an unintentional war between Demacia and Noxus. Both men have been put in the custody of the Institute of War. The Journal of Justice has been allowed to remain open under the watchful eye of the Institute. Although the Institute is trying to prevent something like this from happening again, I can't stress out freedom of speech is becoming more of a dream these days.**_

_**We have breaking news now from Blue Flame Island where the bodies of more than thirty Noxian sailors of the NSS Abyss have been discovered on a plateau above Bilgewater. Investigators from Noxus have arrived as well as our own Richor Ebony on the scene.**_

_**-Bob Nashahago, reporting from the Institute of War**_

_**The scene here is horrifying and for the discretion of our readers, I will not divulge further on the subject. Of the thirty three crewmembers whose bodies lay here, only one lookout by the name Melva Desto remains among the living with a serious wound to her left hand. We attempted to interview Ms. Desto but Noxian authorities refused us access, although we did manage to get a look at her, she seems shell-shocked.**_

_**Who could have done this remains at large and all information will be released once we are able to speak with Ms. Desto.**_

_**Forever Strong**_

_**-Richor Ebony, reporting from Blue Flame Island**_

* * *

"Damn."

"Damn straight."

"I'd didn't think he'd actually...you know..."

"For the love of Pete! Sarah, he has a scythe that makes Karthus' look like a child's play toy!"

"Don't get me wrong, I don't really care that he used it on Noxians, its just that he made it look so...easy."

"What do you mean?"

"Just think, Noxian sailors are some of the most brutish and burly men and woman in Valoran and in a single night he dices them up like carrots on a cutting board."

"Do you think he'd use it on the Ionians if he didn't get what he wanted?"

"No, he could have attacked me on my ship or any of the crew whenever he wanted. No from this we can conclude that he'll only attack if he's attacked first, it makes him look like the victim."

"Victim? If you haven't noticed the thirty-three bodies laying under bags over there."

"I know James, I know."

Sarah Fortune shook her head as she surveyed the scene on the Arian Plateau. Noxian authorities and military personnel were tending to the bodies of the deceased while they also tried to get information out of Melva Desto. The scene had been discovered by a drunken couple only two days ago and now it seemed like Noxus was about ready to initiate a hostile takeover.

Sure every now and then there is a murder but this was no ordinary fight, it was a slaughter and Fortune knew exactly who was behind it judging from the path she had sent him on a couple days ago.

The bounty sighed as she watched the bagged up bodies of the Noxians were loaded up in a cart and driven to the nearest ship, where they would be returned to Noxus for burial or cremation. Wasn't exactly like they knew whose body parts were whose.

James the bartender stood next to her, weary of the situation. Even the most unruly of Bilgewater inhabitants were freaked by the massacre and by the sudden arrival of the Noxians. In all truthfulness, it irked her that the Institute of War had been denying Bilgewater's application for city-state status, which allowed the Noxians here in the first place.

"You think he's safe?" he asked.

"Either the Ionians were happy to give him a lift or they were scared to by the amount of muscle he has on him." she muttered.

"They'll be looking for him." James said.

"They'll have to hire Vayne to track him, which of course will never happen...and me? I know nothing." she smiled.

"Look how they tracked down that High Councilor and Senior Editor. Don't you think it'll take them a little less longer now that he's actually made his statement clear?" he asked.

Sarah looked back at her friend and said, "You ask way too many complicated questions, as far as intelligence goes, the Noxians have no idea as to who or what killed their sailors, and it'll remain that way until Da...I mean...he makes another appearance, which I'm sure he will."

James made a face of agreement.

"Damn you cutie, I thought we had an agreement." she growled.

Sarah was in the process of rolling her eyes when they fell upon a hooded figure speaking with a group of large Noxian brutes. The figure's face was obscured and judging by the shape Sarah guessed it was a woman.

_Seems Noxus is pretty interested in the death of its sailors if their going to send an assassin._

A couple of hours later, Sarah was back in the _Trigger Happy Tavern_ downing a beer and trying to guess Dante's path of travel. She had no idea why she was doing this, she had helped out castaways and jumpers before but none as much as Dante. Perhaps she was bored.

Her finger traced a path from Bilgewater up to a small town on the other side of Blue Flame Island, where the Ionian Embassy was located. From there she focused her finger across the Guardian Sea to the Ionian island of Navori, one of the smaller islands off the coast of the main island.

There was a port there, but no large ships ever docked there that came from the mainland. Dante wouldn't go there. She looked at the other small island of Shon-Xan and it was relatively the same as Navori. So Dante would find himself on the Ionian mainland. Interesting place for a universe traveling, scythe wielding, half-mutilated man.

At first she had no idea whether to believe his crazy story or not, she thought he had taken a swig of the wrong juice or something but his armor and the way he talked signified something out of the ordinary. Whatever it was, Sarah did not know.

When she finished tracing the path, she felt a change in the air speed around her and smiled, "So that was you Kat? Doesn't the General's daughter have more important matters to attend to?"

The hooded figure sat before Sarah where the chair was empty only five seconds ago. Katarina Du Couteau removed her hood, revealing her bright green eyes, long red hair and piercing stare.

"Normally I do, but when Noxians die by the droves in a single night I am sent to investigate. It just so happens I have to be on this pitiful island." the Noxian spat.

"Oh? And you were expecting a paradise? Come on you recruit mercenaries and sailors out of here all the time. What's so different?" Fortune laughed.

Katarina narrowed her eyes in a frown, "You know why I'm here."

"Same as I was about an hour ago. Thirty three Noxian sailor ripped to pieces with only one shell-shocked survivor. If you think-

"I didn't ask if you did it. Are you now confessing?"

The bounty hunter smiled at the assassin before laughing again, "You crack me up Kat. I use bullets remember? Quicker and easier. As for my crew? None of them would dare mess with Noxus. Why aren't you confronting that blasted drunk captain?" she asked.

Katarina sat back in her chair and rolled her eyes, "It does not matter, I come only for information so I will say a final time, do you have any idea of who could have done this?"

Fortune immediately answered, "The answer is no, I'm as clueless as you are Kat." she said as she took another gulp of beer.

There was a sudden movement as Katarina whipped out a knife and slammed it down on the table mere inches away from Fortune's left hand. The bounty hunter didn't flinch, she only finished her beer as almost everyone in the Tavern pulled out a weapon of some sort and pointed it at Katarina.

"Now why'd you have to go and do that?"

"If you're lying to me, you'll never see the light of day again." the assassin snarled.

Fortune smiled in return, "Is that so Kat? Well I don't know about you but I count...8...13...21 guns, 4 swords and even a spear pointed at you that could pin your little pretty face to the walls in an instant before you even think about retreating. I humbly say I don't know who killed your damn sailors and now you have to pull a little tantrum in front of my crew, and we don't like the peace disturbed."

Katarina never took her eyes off Fortune as she slowly retrieved her knife. The assassin got up to leave but not before saying, "If you do know the perpetrator, let me make it very clear that you will never see him or her again."

Fortune laughed, "If that's what you believe."

With that, the assassin whisked out the door and was gone. Dante's words rung in her head.

_Good luck._

* * *

While the rest of Blue Flame Island was in shock over the "Massacre at the Arian Plateau", Dante Alighieri slept peacefully aboard the Ionian freighter _Enlightenment _on its way to Ionia, its captain generously offering Dante a ride to Ionia without Dante even needing to ask.

He liked the Ionians already.

Based on what the bartender and Fortune had told him, finding a trip to the mainland was much easier than asking for one in Bilgewater. The Ionians had not asked him any questions and had even provided him with a blanket for the cold night across the Guardian Sea.

Truly the Ionians were God's people.

God?

Dante's eyes flew open as his thoughts came to his creator. _Does God even exist in this realm? If I do, does that mean he does? _He thought. He figured he would take things one step at a time and focused on the matter at hand-getting to Ionia.

_Easy enough_.

He looked up to the sound of light footsteps coming down the stairs that led to the cargo hold. He saw the Captain Visla's daughter coming down to check on Dante, she was no doubt beautiful with her long black hair and tannish skin, but Dante thought no more of her. Her light grey robes seemed to glisten in the moonlight.

Lest he betray Beatrice again.

"Greetings traveler. How are you feeling?" she asked as she sat down next to him and sitting up against the hull.

"I am doing quite well Ms. Visla, I cannot express how thankful I am for your family's generosity." Dante replied.

The young woman smiled, "It is an Ionians duty to greet the stranger and make him feel welcome." her face suddenly turned to a frown that even took Dante by surprise, "However, there are those who are the complete opposite of us."

Dante knew exactly who she meant, "Noxians."

Kella nodded in agreement.

Dante immediately found a way to learn about the world around him, "If you do not mind me asking Ms. Visla, I am not from around here and I would like to know the history surrounding your people and the Noxians. Finding out information from Bilgewater always appears to cost something."

The daughter turned to him and smiled sweetly, "Of course, indeed with Valoran in turmoil its hard to forget out what is a truth and what is a lie. The Noxians once occupied our two sister islands and about a quarter of the main Ionia island. Their invasion was swift and brutal."

Dante could tell he was not going to like this already.

"We never saw them coming, they came without warning and without mercy as they claimed they were "Enlightening" the Ionian people. Thousands to millions were killed on both sides as the war dragged on, leaving a scar in every Ionian's heart." she finished with a sigh.

"You mentioned, "once"."

That brought a smile to the young woman's face, "Indeed, Noxus agreed to a rematch on the Fields of Justice in response to protests and outcries from the Ionian people. Ionia had lost once before but this time through sheer perseverance, they succeeded and forced Noxus to give up their claims on the islands."

Dante was interested by these "Fields of Justice" and how a battle on them seemed to dictate politics.

_A new form of government?_ He thought.

Kella smiled at the confused face he so obviously displayed, "You must truly be not from around here, no matter I think no less of you. The Institute of War was created after the Rune Wars to solve conflict by very small scale battles between the greatest champions in each faction's arsenal. That way, everyone knows what is at stake and there is no holding back."

Dante began to understand and in all truthfulness, he wished something like that existed back on his home instead of having millions perish in wars fought because of illusions and perverted religion.

"Thank you, this information will prove most useful in my journey." he smiled.

"What is your journey Mr. Alighieri?" she asked.

Dante opened his mouth to speak but shut it because the first thing that came to mind was the death of Beatrice and he shuddered, shaken. The young woman noticed this and said, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I didn't-

"No, no its okay really, sometimes I really do need to let it go." he said.

He began to explain to her about his "noble crusade" and how he had come home to find what remained of his family dead. Traveling through hell-fighting lost souls and daemonic monstrosities alike and all culminating in his climatic battle with the Prince of Evil.

All Kella could say was, "Is that why you try to hide your chest? And your armor?"

"How did you..."

"One does not need eyes to know that you keep things hidden from others Mr. Alighieri, but rest assured that I will not prod you further." she smiled.

Dante returned the smile, "Thank you."

"It is a most unusual story I have to admit but...something tells me that your sincere and honest statements have truth to them."

Dante nodded. Kella got up to return to the main deck, but not before sharing one last smile between the two of them.

_Why can't my people be like there's? _Dante thought before he yawned and sleep overtook him.

* * *

A few hours later, Dante awoke but suddenly realized he was in a different spot and position than when he had first gone to sleep. A black blanket had been drawn over him covering his entire body but leaving room to breath.

_What is going on?_ He thought as he got up.

He realized that the ship had stopped and that there was the unmistakable sound of waves being squished between the _Enlightenment _and another boat.

_This can't be good_.

Whoever moved him had moved him to the back of the ship to a very dark corner where he guessed the mover thought no one would see him, and he or she was correct as he saw no one down the cargo bay.

"Tell me old man, have you had any one suspicious board your ship recently?" he heard a voice say above him, causing him to snap to its source. The voices were coming from the upper deck and he began to hear the creaks and groans of many footsteps against the floorboards.

"I keep telling you, we are just a simple trading vessel! We do not do anything suspicious!"

Captain Visla!

Judging from the tone of the voices in the conversation, someone was holding the ship up and they were not happy. Dante had been in this situation before and he felt his heart begin to beat as he shrugged off his coat.

He crept as silently as possible with the shrunk scythe attached to his wrist, he pulled the chain mail and crown over his head, the red ribbons flowed again from his arms.

"A simple trading vessel ay? I'd say the perfect disguise. Barnes-check the cargo hold while I keep talking to this pathetic excuse for a life." sneered the sinister voice. The sheer arrogance in the man's voice made Dante want to rend him from head to toe.

"On it boss." said a voice.

He looked up to see a shadow coming across the lower deck as a man began to walk down the steps. He wore a black coat and his hood was over his face. Dante immediately hid behind a wide post. He leaned forward gently just enough to see the man turn around, an unmistakable symbol on his coat.

_Noxus_

The very symbol made Dante want to leap out of hiding and kill anyone holding the crew of the _Enlightenment_, but he might endanger the crew. The Noxian was busy knocking over baskets and barrels-spilling their precious cargo of foods and spices all over the deck. He was slowly making his way toward Dante. That gave him an idea.

Dante attached the scythe to his back and held out his hands-preparing for what he was about to do. The man had just finished knocking over a barrel and was walking past the post when Dante pounced-his hands leapt to the mans mouth and back of the head and with one powerful jerk-snapped his neck. Dante lowered the body to the floor as quietly as possible.

He immediately took the man's coat and slung it over himself, hiding his armor that might shine in the moonlight and give him away. He dragged the body and sat it up against the post.

"Stay." he laughed.

The voices continued to argue upstairs, "Do you know there's a dangerous killer on the loose? Murdered thirty-three Noxian Naval officers in a single night."

"And you think we are the perpetrators?" replied Captain Visla.

"Not sure what that last word meant but I'm going to assume you think we think you did it. No old man I don't think so." the voice laughed.

"Then why are you holding us here? This is a clear breach of-

"You really think Noxus or the Institutes going to give a shit? Yeah good luck with that old man. Your little Ionia is weak and shouldn't have the reign to stop a routine check on the seas."

"You what?"

"Surprised? Oh yes I've stopped many ships before-Ionia, Bilgewater, do not believe you are the first."

By this time Dante had positioned himself on the ladder closest to the back of the ship, he looked up and saw no one standing behind it, so he turned and peaked his head over the opening to see what was going on.

He saw the small crew of the _Enlightenment _herded into a circle surrounded by multiple Noxians, the captain of whom was arguing with Captain Visla.

"If you're lying to me old man, you'll never see the light of day again." the man snarled.

"I swear to you! Whoever you're looking for is not on this ship!"

The man leaned in and sneered, "You're lying."

"Preposterous, why would I lie?" Visla shot back, startled.

Dante could see that the situation was beginning to spiral out of control with the Noxian captain's sheer stupidity. If he climbed out of this ladder he might give himself away. He ducked back beneath the opening and thought before his eyes settled on a large viewport in the port side of the hull.

He grinned, _just like the walls of the Inferno_.

Making his way to the viewport, he slowly made his way out and into the cool night, he climbed out and imbedded his scythe in the outer hull, using it as a tool to keep him attached. He felt blessed that the outer hull had many outer hard points on the hull for which he used to climb with.

He hurriedly made his way across, luckily the Noxian ship was on the other side of the Ionian's.

When he finally made his way to the other side of the ship were the situation was occurring, the voices became clear again.

"No! No please not my daughter!" he heard Captain Visla say.

"Father!" Kella cried.

"Now, now Captain maybe we can persuade you to give us something if your daughter enters the situation? Come now tell us something." said the Noxian captain. Dante grunted lowly as he began to climb up the ship's ladder on the outer hull. He peaked his head over the side of the ship once more.

The Noxian captain had Kella in his arms as two others held Captain Visla down.

"No? Well then, I'll just have to take her back to the ship and have a little fun with her." laughed the captain as a finger grazed her cheek.

"Don't touch me you bastard!" Kella said.

"Ooh feisty, I'm gonna have to teach you some respect. Take her away boys, burn the ship and tie the crew to the mast." he said.

"No!" said both Visla's at the same time.

"I told you you'd regret this captain, now you're paying the price." the Noxians began to lead Kella forcefully to the other side of the ship where their smaller boats awaited. A few of the others beat Captain Visla as they herded the crew over to the main mast.

Dante knew it was now or never.

He would not let them take the Vislas.

For Kella.

Dante closed his eyes and gathered his strength, channeling the energy bestowed upon him by God to enhance his mortal capabilities. He still hung at the top of the ladder but suddenly he pushed himself up with his arms and extended the scythe, pointing it to the top of the mast and grappling to it instantly.

The extension of the scythe made a long and sickening sound, causing almost everyone to turn around to see a dark figure standing in the lookout's nest with the full moon behind him.

"What in the...

Whichever Noxian had begun his sentence never finished as Dante leaped to the deck and swung his scythe in an arc, ripping apart three Noxians. Kella began to scream as her captors edged her closer to the edge.

Dante shot the scythe forward and impaled a man-sending him over the side of the ship. His attention turned to Kella's captors as they prepared to throw her in the water. Dante dashed forward shrank the scythe so that he attached it to his right arm. He ducked beneath a swing of a sword and used the scythe in an uppercut to lift one of her captors in the air and brought him down on the other captor. He extended the scythe to bring it down and impale them both a second time.

He whirled around to see the final Noxian aboard the ship-the captain, holding a female member of the crew with a knife to her neck.

"Back the fuck away!" he cried, "Stay back-I'll kill the bitch if you take another step!"

But Dante knew he already had the upper hand. With a single movement he tore the Noxian coat from his body and flung it aside, revealing the stitched cross on his chest and intricate silver armor.

Kella muttered, "D-D-Da-Dante?"

The crewmember's eyes grew wide as they realized the kind traveler they were transporting had just brutally killed their captors.

"You have lost Noxian. Give up or face damnation." Dante snarled.

"Like hell I have. Noxus will hear about this and when they doAAAAUUUGGGHHHHH!" the man screeched in pain as a light cross from Beatrice's cross hit him square in the face-blinding him. While he had been talking Dante had been charging it up behind his back.

Dante strode to the captain and delivered a punch to the gut and brought his scythe up and into his stomach until it came out the other side. Dante' grabbed the man's head and forced him to look at Dante as dark energies began to flow into the scythe.

"Suffer for your sins."

The man began to scream as reddish light emerged from his body until finally he exploded in a flash of light which swirled around in the air before settling itself in Dante's shrunken scythe.

All was quiet after that as the Ionians looked on in horror at what had just happened.

Dante's attention turned to the Noxian ship and he walked to the side of the ship and found a grappling location.

"D-Dante? Is that you?" asked Kella beside him. Dante turned to look at the woman and saw her slightly back away as he turned to face her. "Yes." he replied, "Fear not, I will free you from the Noxians, prepare the ship for departure."

"Wait! What are you doing?" she cried as the scythe extended towards the Noxian ship.

"Killing them all."


	4. Realm of the Shadow

**A/N: I would appreciate you all if you would visit my profile and take a look at my other stories, particularly King Raptor and Phantom Dancers, as they are in categories that don't get many views. I know I haven't updated them in a while, but trust me when I say I'll get to them very soon.**

**Also, watch the Dante's Inferno Animated Movie in any way you can, it will also help you understand this story.**

**I apologize, this chapter was meant to be longer but I just wanted to get it updated, I promise next one will be longer I swear. Onward to Chapter 4!**

* * *

**1192 A.D. (22 CLE)**

**Ionia**

_I did not die, yet I am not living, so what am I? Is this apart of the great father's plan? Or has Lucifer intervened in the natural order of things? Beatrice, you are the only light at the end of my spectrum, the only thought that keeps me alive and warm every night. Someday, I will return to you're loving arms. I know what you said when the angel carried you to heaven, that you forgave me, yet still I find myself unworthy of you and worthy of the Inferno. I betrayed you and murdered innocents, and I strangely find myself agreeing with that daemon that no soul is blacker than mine. Sometimes I lay awake at night and ponder these things even though the answer is not of this world...universe. The reality of my situation shouldn't be possible, yet it is right before my eyes._

_Beatrice, I pray that you will have the answers for me when I return, for I cannot comprehend them. __All that I ask is that you find the strength that I never had to understand what I've done, and who I am now._

_..._

_..._

_Dante, of course I have forgiven you, God has forgiven you._

Dante Alighieri woke up screaming near the edge of an Ionian forest near the shore line to the main island. His blood was pounding in his head and he could feel his heart thumping in his chest as if it wanted to escape the man it had served, watched as he betrayed the woman he loved and ended countless innocent lives without question.

He doubled over and began to weep, his moans and cries enough to make even the strong minded cringe with sorrow. The fire that he had made for himself had long since spent its fuel of wood and was but a smoking crisp now.

"Beatrice...what have I done to you?" Dante murmured. "I have continued to punish the wicked in a plane of existence parallel to our own. Is this what God desires of a repent sinner?"

He rolled back over onto his back, "Heavenly father, the Inferno spawned horrors upon me that could not be stopped by anything other than the scythe that once belonged to the Harbinger of Souls, if I am still in possession of such a bane of sins, does that mean I must still punish those that cannot be saved?"

Only the silence of the night time forest gave him an answer, and he did not like it. He looked at his armor, scythe, and ceremonial red ribbons that lay on the other side of the smoldering fire.

_What is my mission? _He asked himself, and again, only the forest answered him.

He again lay his head back on the undergrowth of the forest. He knew he was somewhere on the southwestern quadrant of the island, and that most of the Ionian population, towns, and cities lay in the northern half.

It had been nearly three days ago that more Noxians had met their violent ends at the point of Death's scythe. When he had finished with the crew on board the Noxian corvette, _NSS Barrage_, he had dumbed their bodies overboard. It was a courtesy against the scavenging birds that they did not deserve, but Dante had complied.

They were going to kill innocents.

The mention of killing innocents caused Dante's eyes to fly open as the nightmare of killing the innocent Muslims in Jerusalem was brought to light. He gritted his teeth and wept as his head throbbed with pain at the terrible memory.

"Surely I am not worthy of anything but the Inferno." he cried, but suddenly came to realize, "But what was all that talk about returning to Beatrice? Surely she confirmed that she as well as the heavenly father have forgiven me?" he asked.

He sighed once more as he lay his head against the great Oak tree. Captain Visla held Dante to a standard like no one ever could, Dante had saved his crew as well as his only child from the hands of lustful and violent Noxians. The crew of the _Enlightenment_ looked at Dante with senses of awe, fear, and wonder as a massive man wearing elaborate silver armor with red ribbons flowing from his muscular body and a massive cross stitched into his chest stood among them, killing Noxians here and there.

* * *

_"But why must you leave?" asked Kella._

_"I am a danger to all of you, sooner or later they will learn my name, and they will come after whoever has aided me, from hiding me to simply giving me a place to stay." Dante said as he stood near the front of the Enlightenment as it continued on its journey to Ionia._

_"You gave the Noxians what was coming to them!" said a crewmember, to the cheers of his fellow crewmates._

_"No! I did not want it to come to this, you saw how I tried to bargain with the captain to no avail. It does not always have to end in violence, there are always peaceful solutions, contradictory to what I have just done." Dante hung his head._

_Captain Visla came up and sat next to Dante, "Son, you are correct to believe that, for it is an Ionian's path to seek peace above all else, violence and war should only be used as a last resort, and you were forced to that last resort."_

_"They were going to kill all of you." Dante said while looking at the crew._

_"And you stopped them, if you had let them live they would have returned to Noxus and escalated the situation far beyond comprehension." replied Visla._

_"So I killed them to keep them quiet?" asked Dante._

_Visla held a straight voice before he laid a hand on Dante's shoulder, "Dante, you unknowingly prevented a larger conflict for only a short time, it is our duty to report this to Ionia's ruling council, that they may bring it up before the Institute of War. You have unknowingly done the right thing."_

_Dante looked at the Captain and sighed, "I swore to myself that I would never kill out of anger or malice again."_

_Visla replied, "War brings death Dante, whether people like it or not, that is the way of fighting-my daughter has no doubt told you of the Great War between Ionia and Noxus. If one must defend his homeland, his friends, his ideals by ending the lives of those who seek to destroy all of that-would that not seem like a better path than one of bloodlust and insanity?"_

_Dante had to admit, Captain Visla was right, "Yes...Yes it is. But I still cannot be in you're presence anymore, I am simply making you a target for the Noxians. And I will not allow that to happen."_

_The crew of the Enlightenment were silent as they watched their only piece of evidence of the Noxian aggression claim he could not associate with them anymore._

_ "Even if you were to bring this before your...Institute...I would immediately be recognized as the one that killed the Noxians in the Guardian Sea and Bilgewater. And I still have to find a way home."_

_The eyes of the crew grew wide and some gasped as they realized that the killer of over thirty Noxians on Blue Flame Island now sat before them._

_"But...But why?" asked Kella, who sat opposite the Captain._

_"Noxians, I have learned, are easily provoked. I had a little game with a lookout while coming into the harbor at Bilgewater and nearly knocked her off her perch, she didn't take it too well and used her brute friends to make up for her lack of strength. They attacked, I killed them all."_

_There was a silence before Captain Visla spoke, "Dante, if you are who you say you are, a man filled with the desire to return home, then you have to learn to contain yourself and not make so many enemies, do you have any friends since you've arrived here?"_

_Dante pondered his question before saying, "You people...Sarah Fortune, I guess."_

_The mention of the famed bounty hunter and and League of Legends champion caused some to raise their eyebrows. Dante noticed their confusion and said, "She saved my life, and that is all you need to know."_

_Visla sighed and said, "I cannot stop you from your goal, but I do implore you to think very hard about your friends and enemies in an unfamiliar world." he said before he got up and returned to preparing the ship to stop near a deserted Ionian shoreline._

_Kella lifted her hand and turned Dante's head to face her own, Dante gasped at the thought of betraying Beatrice once more, but was relieved when Kella bore a smile, "No matter what you've done, I don't care, you've saved innocents today, and that is the man I see before me. You're a good person Dante, and I will always remember you for that." Kella then leaned forward and kissed Dante's forehead, "Thank you." she then smiled and returned to work as well._

_A couple minutes later, the ship was at the point of no return in a small bay at the Southwestern quadrant of Ionia. Before he jumped into the water, Dante personally thanked everyone for allowing him on their ship, he shook Captain Visla's hand and hugged Kella. When he reached the shore, he waved goodbye to the crew, Captain Visla, and Kella as the ship turned around and rode a new tailwind out of the bay and out of sight._

* * *

Dante found himself once again staring at the now dead fire as the moon held position high in the sky, the sound of crickets and frogs were the only things that kept Dante company. He no longer felt cold as the warm climate of Ionia had dried his drenched clothes and left a cool breeze through the forest.

He thought about his plans on how to reach the mainland, he would once again be forced to maintain a low profile until he could find another friendly ship to take him to the mainland, but what would he do when he got there? He was trying to return to his own world, but was it even possible that anyone could learn the same technique that Lucifer had used to transport him to this world?

Dante shook his head and tried to shake the reality that he might be trapped here from his head, no, if he could get here, then certainly he could get back there.

Realizing that he was well rested, he got up and suited up in his armor, he had eaten all of the food that had been given to him by Fortune and now tucked the map of Valoran into a pouch within his chain mail.

He looked out and saw that the forest opened up a hole in the undergrowth that revealed Dante was actually on a small plateau overlooking the level forest below him. As he scanned the level forest under the light of the moon, his eyes came across a couple of orange lights scattered in close proximity from each other sitting far off in the forest. At least 2 or three miles directly North.

If he was going to get to the other side of the island, he was going to have to go through there, he then turned to his left and began hacking away at the greenery around him to get down to the level ground.

_Civilization? _He thought.

Just then, something rustled the bushed behind him. Dante whipped around with scythe at the ready to find a doe and her fawn walking in the opposite direction like they didn't even see Dante. He breathed a sigh of relief, thanking God that it wasn't just another random enemy.

_The same animals exist in this realm as in my home? There must be more similarities than just humans being here._

As he began to turn back, his eyes stopped as he caught two red orbs seemingly floating in the darkness behind the deer, but just as quickly as he saw them, they disappeared.

_I guess Ionia has its own mysteries. _Dante thought.

He followed a path down the plateau he was on, continuing to hack away at nature's obstacles along the way and blazing the trail once more. The light of the full moon provided all of the light he needed to see in front of him as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Over the next hour, he continued to walk in the direction that he believed would lead him to the lights that he saw, lights he hoped would be people willing to help him. Based on his experience with the crew of the _Enlightenment_, he had no doubt there would be a friendly Ionian willing to point him in the right direction.

He jumped over a fallen log and turned a corner. He felt a tree next to him but suddenly felt something that was unfamiliar in a forest.

Metal.

He traced his left hand to the source with his eyes and found that a piece of metal was indeed stuck inside the wood of the tree. On closer inspection, he found it had jagged edges and looked like it had been thrown into the tree.

Dante grabbed ahold of it and with all of his strength pulled it out of the tree, he then held it up to the moon and examined it. The piece of metal looked like a sort of three-pointed star with razor sharp edges and a center that looked like it held the metal in place. Its silver paint looked as clean as it could ever be.

_Some type of throwing knife?_ Dante shivered and felt for the spot that the Muslim assassin had stabbed him in the back.

As he examined the intricate piece of metal, he saw a dark form that stood out even against the starry sky leap out of the jungle ahead of him and fly into the moon, so that it was illuminated against the moon.

It was coming straight at him.

Dante dropped the razor quickly extended his scythe into a defensive position in front of him just as the shadowy form touched down, rearing its arms above its head and bringing its weapons to bare.

The shadowy figure crashed down at Dante and swung overhead with two very long blades attached to either hand at the top. Dante brought the scythe to bare and blocked all four of the blades. The shadowy figure leaned forward as both combatants struggled to overpower the other.

Dante looked at his opponent.

The man, or shadow, had glowing red eyes and a mask that covered his face that came together in the middle of his mouth, the mask had slits in so that its wearer could breath. A cloak was pulled over his head, masking his identity. He had a very clean chest plate.

An assassin, Dante was instantly reminded of one that had left his mark cleanly on him.

Dante roared pushed the assassin off of him, only when the combatants stood apart did Dante get a clearer picture of the man. If it was a man it all. The assassin appeared to be radiating black energies off of him, as if he wasn't human at all.

However, as Dante prepared for inevitable next attack, the shadow burst and dissipated into thin air.

Dante stood up straight in complete wonder as to what exactly had just attacked him, but suddenly, he felt a shiver and threw himself forward just in time to dodge a razor shuriken thrown at him from his left, the shuriken sped past and implanted itself in a nearby tree.

"Show yourself coward!" roared Dante, "I have braved the depths of hell and you do not scare me!"

An ominous laugh answered him, "**Then come closer warrior.**"

Dante did not know what to do next, as there were no more shurikens thrown at him or shadows bursting out of the forest. He kept his scythe in his hands and continued towards the last place he had seen the lights, occasionally the ominous laugh would sound again.

Soon Dante came to the edge of the forest, and he knew on the other side would be the origin of the lights he had seen. He stepped out of the forest and found a single building in a clearing in the moonlight. Dante had done his studying when he was but a boy in Florence, and the building strikingly resembled Asian architecture, with its familiar curved roofs and stage building.

The orange lights were placed in lampposts surrounding the building. They were the ones he had seen.

Dante cautiously walked closer, his eyes darting for any sign of trouble until they finally came upon a column in the middle of a small lake of water that surrounded the building.

A shadow assassin was perched on top of it, staring right back at him.

"Come and fight me assassin, that I may show you're kind who really is superior!" Dante yelled, but the shadow never flinched. Dante's eyes were moved as more shadows began to literally materialize out of thin air onto multiple columns, all of them duplicates of the original.

One of them spoke, a noticeable difference from the voice that had spoken to him, "**The Master of Shadows wishes an audience with you traveler.**" Dante couldn't tell who spoke, but griped his scythe even tighter and stepped forward.

"And who is this Master of Shadows?" Dante asked aloud, and the ominous voice responded-

**"Zed."**


	5. Power Does Not Favor Assassins

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay, I've taken a break from my longer story to work on my other, not well known stories, so updates might come a little quicker. I just got a job so updates might be sporadic.**

**This and my other Warhammer 40k story are going to be the stories that I most update, lucky you :)**

* * *

**1192 A.D. (22 CLE)**

**Central Ionia, Temple of the Shadow**

When Dante was a boy, he learned a lot about the world around him-particularly about eastern cultures-from the heathen middle east to the that of ancient China. The buildings that he was now looking at bore a lot of resemblance to ancient China.

But this wasn't China.

It was an entirely different world all together. It pained Dante that he was forced to come to terms with that fact now as he was flanked by shadowy warriors and led into the temple. The moon still shone brightly in the night sky, revealing almost everything around him but the details of the warriors that now flanked him.

He was walked across a bridge and made sure his scythe was tight on his back as he began to walk up the stairs as one of the shadow warriors led the way up. He was surprised that these obviously menacingly looking warriors hadn't tried to attack him all at once, perhaps this...Zed...did wish an audience of him. He wished he had Miss Fortune with him, the first time he ever thought so, she'd be able to tell him what was going on.

_Perhaps I will see her again, and then, I'll have ALOT more questions _he thought.

They finally came to a large doorway at the bottom of the temple, where one of the shadows said, "**He awaits**."

Dante eyed the shadows suspiciously, who were still giving off dark energies and stared at him with their glowing red eyes. He looked forward and pushed open the temple door and it widened loudly to reveal a short hallway lined on the sides with pillars that held up the building.

He saw at the very end a figure seated in a cross-legged position, only illuminated by the moonlight that showed through an opening in the ceiling.

This warrior looked exactly like the others except he did not radiate the shadowy energy that was so distinctive of the others. Instead, he had patches of maroon garments showing under his armor and over his legs. His helmet sported a golden "V" type shape across the brow of his helmet.

Dante warily stepped forward, making sure each motion of his hands was somewhat near his scythe. Finally, he reached the end the of the long hallway and stood not a couple yards from the warrior's meditative sanctuary.

For a while, there was an unsettling silence between the two men, but before Dante could speak, the warrior spoke, "**Do you seek to learn the art of the shadow Dante Alighieri?**" he asked, his mask covering his true voice and adding a sinister note that Dante picked up easily.

Dante thought out his next words carefully, he concluded that this must be the "Zed" that the shadows he had encountered had talked about.

"I come to seek passage to the Northeastern quadrant of Ionia." he stated simply.

Zed remained in his meditative pose.

"**Do you seek to learn the art of the shadow? Choose your next words carefully, they may be your last.**" came the reply.

Dante narrowed his eyes and his hands moved backward towards his scythe, but still, he did not want a confrontation, "I have no quarrel with you...Master of Shadows...I made my statement clear that I only seek passage to Northeastern Ionia. I only encountered your warriors because one of them attacked me."

Two glowing red eyes appeared in Zed's helmet sockets. The master assassin slowly rose up from his sitting position and carefully walked down the small steps from his altar down to Dante's level. The inferno traveler tensed up, preparing for anything.

"**Forgive my warriors, they are simply guarding my territory from the foolish balance warriors.**" Zed said while nodding his head.

Dante almost breathed a sigh of relief before Zed spoke again, "**But first I must apologize**

Dante raised an eyebrow and asked, "Apologize for what?"

The assassin bowed slightly with his palms pressed together and said, "**For this**."

Dante barely had time to bring his scythe to full length and extend it in front of him to block a spinning slash from the Master of Shadows, who had extended very long blades from the top of his wrist gauntlets.

If Zed was surprised that the attack that he opened with was the one the felled so many newcomers had been blocked by this oddly dressed warrior, he did not show out as he spun expertly again with both of the blades attached to both wrists.

Dante gritted his teeth and held the bone body of the scythe out in front of him, blocking Zed's slashes with minimal effort. He wanted to try and persuade the Master of Shadows that he wasn't here to fight, but judging by the unprovoked attack by the shadow pupil earlier, Zed was no different.

He required no provocation.

When Dante had finally backed up enough, he decided to go on the offensive by pushing forward against Zed's next slash and spinning around to try and cleave the sides of the Master out, but he hit nothing but a shadow.

"What trickery is this?" Dante said as Zed began laughing ominously from wherever he had gone, "**If you had embraced the shadow, you wouldn't have to remain in that slow body of yours, you could be free, free from restraint, you could travel anywhere the shadow touches, and it touches everything.**"

The shadow stood in an attack stance but did not move even as Dante swung through it, nothing happened.

"**Fool, you cannot attack that which isn't there.**" Zed snarled.

"Thanks for the advice." Dante growled as he stepped back with his scythe in hand and tried to look for Zed in the hallway but found nothing.

Suddenly, the shadow began to reach into its back and retrieve two very large razor shurikens. Dante barely had time to dive out of the way before the shadow through the now physical shurikens at the nearest pillar and embedded themselves in its stone work.

"**Impressive, your skills are quick, but can you fight the unseen blade?**" Zed asked.

Dante heard the air above him begin to sing and brought his scythe up to block Zed, who had simply dropped from the dark ceiling, how he had gotten there, Dante did not know. He rolled onto his back and kicked his legs into Zed's chest plate and flung him backward.

Zed tumbled through the air expertly and landed on both feet.

The two warriors faced each other once more before rushing at each other. As Zed got closer, he summoned a shadow forward and they unleashed four razor shurikens that Dante blocked by spinning the scythe forward.

Dante whipped the scythe in forward arcs in front of him, but Zed suddenly teleported forward and switched places with the shadow he had summoned, suddenly appearing inside Dante's arcs.

Zed brought his blades forward in an attempt to stab Dante in the chest but to his surprise, Dante grabbed his hand with and held in place while he brought the scythe back and then forward to deliver an uppercut of his own.

The assassin again switched places with another shadow behind Dante and again threw out his razor shurikens. Dante ducked to the ground as the shurikens passed over harmlessly. Zed slashed forward and split open the shurikens thrown by his first shadow.

Again, the two warriors stood apart before Zed laughed, "**Ha, ha, ha.**"

Dante suddenly became aware of three shadows rushing at him from all directions while Zed flew at him in front of him. Dante swung the scythe in a wide arc but Zed leaped over it and delivered a quick precision strike above Dante's shoulder.

However, it wasn't deep, and Zed had done it so fast that it looked like a small symbol.

Dante flinched at the wound before turning to face Zed, who had leaped over him.

"You'll have to do better than giving me paper cuts to defeat me." Dante growled.

Zed in turn raised his right index finger and motioned it from side to side, Dante narrowed his eyes but not before suddenly the mark on his shoulder glowed white hot and he felt a piercing pain run through his chest. He doubled over and coughed up blood but was on his feet in an instant, it was no different from any pain he had experienced in the inferno.

The shadow master, believed he had defeated the inferno traveler and rushed at Dante intent on decapitating him.

However, Dante smirked as he kneeled and gripped Beatrice's cross.

When Zed was only a couple feet away from him, Dante punched out the cross as it glowed and it unleashed three light crosses that flew out and illuminated the dark hallway.

Zed groaned and his eyes flew to his mask to cover the light. He summoned a shadow behind him and immediately switched places with it, but Dante closed the distance and fired the cross again, the light eviscerating the shadow and surprising Zed.

Dante smiled and spun around to deliver another trio of light crosses, causing Zed to shield his eyes from the burning light. Dante took the open opportunity to deliver a quick strike across Zed's chest and easily cut open the armor and giving him a bleeding cut across it.

Zed disregarded his injury and back flipped out of range and got into another fighting stance.

Dante drew back into his own fighting stance but was surprised when Zed retracted his long blades and began to lightly clap his hands, "**I am impressed, few travel through this very room without knowledge of the shadow and emerge the next day.**"

Dante still gripped his scythe, "And what happens to those that emerge?"

Zed shrugged, "**You saw them outside.**"

Dante connected the dots easily and scoffed, "You truly believe I will become one of your shadow servants? Think again Master of Shadows. I am Dante Alighieri and I traveled through hell itself and my journey will not be stopped by someone who thinks they can hide in the darkness."

Zed crossed his arms, "**So Dante, why did you come here?**"

"I told you already, I am seeking passage to mainland Valoran, that is all I ever said." Dante's grip on his scythe became tighter.

"**But of course you did, I can sense the urgency and frustration in your technique, but I sensed a somewhat similar goal in our duel.** he said

"A goal? What goal could someone who tried to kill me share with me?" Dante scoffed.

Zed did not answer, but rather he gripped his hands behind his back and walked past Dante to an doorway on the wall to the left of the meditative sanctuary, Zed motioned for Dante to follow him, "**There is no more cause for alarm, I see that you are unwilling to learn the art of the shadow, but you are quick to cover your mistakes.**"

Dante raised an eyebrow and attached his scythe to his back before cautiously following the Master of Shadows. As he passed through the pillars on the way to the doorway, he noticed a dimly lit mural on the east wall that showed what looked like Zed dueling another man.

This man wore blue armor and had a mask on that hid his face just as well as Zed's did. There was an elaborate arrow tip-like piece on top of his forehead and he sported spiked shoulder and wrist armor. His belt had a snake-like design on it and a sash that extended past his knees. Perhaps the most unusual thing about him was his glowing yellow eyes.

The man appeared to be blocking the slashes of Zed and another of his shadow warriors.

"**You see what I must do to protect the art of the shadow. That is Shen, the Eye of the Twilight, the head of fools who believe that balance is the key to prosperity.**" Zed said with a noticeable snarl in his voice.

Dante looked the mural over before shrugging and following Zed into the doorway, "Where are you taking me?"

Zed replied, "**You seek passage to mainland Valoran?**"

Dante's ears pricked up at the noticeable change in the topic, "I do."

The assassin did not speak again for awhile as the pair walked through the hallway but as they did, Dante noticed more murals and paintings of Zed fighting this...Shen, and what looked like balance warriors because of their noticeable difference from Zed's shadows.

He also noticed deep slashes in the paint and cuts on the walls, some of the paintings looked like they had been forcefully pushed into their positions. Every single one of the scenes featured Zed showing some sort of hate for balance, as if it was his life's work to destroy it.

_Not that it already was _thought Dante.

"**I have a proposition for you.**" Zed said suddenly as the two kept walking down the hall.

"And what might that be?" Dante asked warily.

The pair finally came to a doorway to which Zed opened, revealing the same midnight sky that Dante had been in not too long ago. He looked at Zed who was in turn gazing at the sky, he turned to Dante, "**Do you see that clouded mountain top in the distance?**"

Dante turned and squinted to see what Zed was indicating and he indeed saw a mountain that stood out from the rest because its top was clouded by single eternal cloud, as unusual as the circumstances were.

"What is that?" Dante asked.

"**Beneath that cloud lies the floating castle that is the home of the Dark Sovereign, recently, she has blocked a key pathway for my new recruits from Northeastern Ionia. It also happens to be the only passage way to that area.**"

"I thought all you Ionians were united against any foreign threat, why would this...Dark Sovereign want to do something like that?" Dante questioned.

"**The Dark Sovereign has an unquenchable thirst to attain more power and she does so by showing it off and testing other powers she learns. Massive boulders block the only passage way to Northeast Ionia.**" Zed turned to Dante and nodded, "**I cannot convince her nor can I fight her because she is a champion of the Institute of War, to kill her outside of wartime would violate the code.**"

Dante was suddenly interested, "I have heard of this Institute and the ways it tries to prevent war, it doesn't seem to do a great job of preventing small conflicts."

Zed nodded, "**Indeed it does not, the corrupt high councilors who head it or more or less swayed by the opinions of the Demacians and Noxians.** **That is why I rarely go there myself unless it requires me for an important match.**"

"The information is useful, but I still have yet learned your proposition." Dante pointed out.

"**Yes...you are not a league champion.**" Zed implied, and Dante already knew what he meant.

"You want me to kill her?" he said, he was about to turn down the offer when Zed replied, "**She is no good to me dead, how can she unblock the passage way if you killed her? You will go there and convince her one way or the other to do so. We share a common goal tonight.**" Zed finished.

Dante looked out over the forest and how it bordered the mountains, "Fine, I will do so, and when I return with the Dark Sovereign, will you show me the way to Northeast Ionia?" he asked.

The Master of Shadows nodded.

Soon Dante was at the back steps of the Shadow temple and as he began to walk into the forest, he turned back to see Zed and many of his shadow warriors standing at the top of the steps, watching as the strange warrior made his way towards the Dark Sovereign.

Before Dante disappeared into the forests, he heard Zed call out, "**Take heed, the Dark Sovereign does not take lightly to those who seek forgiveness.**"

Dante was about to turn around but found it not worth the effort, but he still wondered how Zed knew he was one to seek forgiveness.

_This place...is even more strange than my own home._

* * *

It was getting a bit lighter as Dante traveled through the forests of central Ionia, but it was still relatively dark out and the frogs and crickets still chirped or sang away into the early dawn.

Zed had put him on a lightly blazed path towards the singular mountain that supposedly was the home of this...Dark Sovereign, whoever she was. However, Dante feared no enemy, for not one that the faith that paralled the faith he had in his creator, and his want to return to his beloved Beatrice.

_Beatrice, watch over me and guide me through this new world, that I may someday return to you _Dante prayed as he walked. Somehow he'd been able to hang onto the pack of supplies that Miss Fortune had provided him with.

He found his thoughts drifting back to her and the bartended that had shown him a kindness he had not seen in a very long time. He actually hoped he'd see her again before he found his way home, to truly thank him for her most unusual welcome for him into this world.

Sighing, he thought about how Lucifer was able to summon such arcane powers to force Dante into this world.

_He's been trapped there for millennia, I guess he was not lying when he said he practiced with powers beyond his control_ Dante thought.

_One more reason end his wretched existence._

He figured he'd traveled enough for the night and settled down before he continued onto the mountain that was the home of the Dark Sovereign, whoever she was, she most definitely didn't sound like a light-hearted person.

"She wouldn't take lightly to those who seek forgiveness...*HMPH*, who is she to decide that?" Dante scoffed before he pulled out the map. He chewed on some food as he gave the map a look over.

It was pretty straight forward-Ionia and the Blue Flame Islands were on the Eastern end of the Guardian's sea. The continent of Valoran held a couple of places on its Eastern Coast, notably locations he had never heard of such as Zaun and Bandle City, however, one name stuck out to him right in the middle of the coast.

Noxus.

_I guess there's no easy into Valoran now is there, but then again, where am I going? I am here to find a way home but I've only encountered a bounty hunter, bad-tempered brutes, a shadow assassin, and soon...a powerful Sovereign _he thought as he stroked his chin.

Other places included Piltover on the other side of an indent of water of Zaun, a snowy region called Freljord in the Northwest, and Demacia on the western coast of the Conqueror's sea.

He was about to look over the southern half of Valoran when something caught his eye in the top left corner, he squinted in the moonlight to look at it and found a jumble of islands called the Shadow Isles were purposely surrounded by skulls and repeated words like "Death", "Scary", and "Don't go here".

_I'll take your advice Fortune_ Dante chuckled to himself.

He began to look over the southern half of Valoran and traced his finger over parts such as Urtistan, the Fyrone Flats, the Shurima desert, Kumungu, the Voodoo lands, Icathia, and the Plague Jungles.

_A very desolate place I'd say_ Dante thought as he continued looking over the map.

He found this place...the Institute of War, smack dab in the middle of the map between Demacia and Noxus, and Dante already knew what its location meant, and he remembered the looks that Demacians and Noxians had given each other in Bilgewater.

_So, Demacia and Noxus have a troubled history, not that I blame the Demacians but still...this Institute of War seems like a peace-keeping organization._

Dante pursed his lip before continuing his thoughts, _but with what army? How can they stop two of the biggest city-states on Valoran from going to war?_

He shook his head and put down the map for a second, _who in this world might be able to summon the powers to deliver me back home?_

The question suddenly struck a fear in him that he had not felt before. What if there was _no _way home? What if no one in this world knew what he was talking about let alone believe him?

_What if I never see Beatrice again?_

Dante gritted his teeth and lay his head back against the tree as tears swam down his cheeks, "Oh Beatrice...this is all my fault...if I'd never gone on that God forsaken crusade I'd still be with you. We'd have grown old and seen our grandchildren have children."

His own words only increased his sorrow, "Beatrice...your blood is on my hands." he wallowed in his misery before a thought came across him, "No...no...this isn't the end, I have persevered through greater horrors and the inferno itself, no challenge can defeat me." he said.

He wiped away his tears and said, "Beatrice, I will return to you and your warmth one day, if I have to brave another inferno for you I will do it without question."

Dante soon feel asleep, as he would need his strength if he was even going to attempt to climb that lonely mountain to get to the Dark Sovereign. He dreamt of happy times of Beatrice and laughing with Miss Fortune and the bartended, he smiled in his sleep.

When he awoke, the sun was higher in the sky but it was still morning. He decided it was clear enough to travel and began his trek across the forest. A couple of hours later, he came to the base of the mountain and found that it had a large staircase that led up into the clouded region.

He placed a hand over Beatrice's cross attached to his hip and began the trek up the stairs, making sure his mail was pulled over his head and each part of his armor was tightened onto his body. The scythe hung at full extension on his back and his red ribbons flowed with the wind that was noticeably dropping in temperature.

Dante gritted his teeth as it got colder but refused to pull out the coat from his pack of supplies.

_I cannot look like I am intimidated by any foe or mother nature._

The climb was long and exhausting and at some points he was forced to take breaks, never he would have thought that it would be just as tiring as the inferno itself, not that he wasn't battling daemons and hell spawn or anything.

He looked down from his position and saw that the forest below him was getting dimmer and realized he was entering the cloud cover as the sun began to set on the other side of the sky.

"I've been climbing for a day? Interesting." Dante said as he returned to the steps. He found that as he entered the cloud cover, the temperature began to get warmer again. He had no idea why, but nevertheless was thankful for it.

Once he had gotten up from another break, he found that the steps were becoming more ornate and well designed, like they had been kept in their original state and somehow had refused to let nature take over them or let age wear them out.

He looked around and saw splintered pieces of statues and wood tossed about. Remnants of shacks and small houses littered the area and from what he could see, he deduced that something violent had come through here.

_Is this the Dark Sovereign's work?_ He asked himself, but received no answer.

He was observing the sights around him before his eyes came upon a statue with its head removed cleanly, but no other damage was visible. In one hand the statue appeared to be gesturing, as if to a crowd while the other held an open book.

Dante was curious at the statue's state so he got off the stairs and carefully walked over to the statue. It was off a man, but he could not identify him as again his head had been removed as if on purpose instead of accident.

He glanced down at the book and narrowed his eyes suddenly as he found a single phrase etched crudely across the open pages so that he couldn't even see the original wording.

**CONTROL IS FOR WEAKLINGS**

Dante raised an eyebrow and looked upward but could not see anything through the cloud cover, he glanced back at the statue and shrugged before continuing on. Over the next half-hour, he found similar statues and similar harsh phrases etched everywhere, even into the rock outcroppings that bordered the stairs.

_Most unusual_ Dante thought.

It was then, that he became aware of something behind him, just that shiver down the spine that made him restless. He whipped out the scythe and turned around to find absolutely nothing. He could have sworn something was there but there wasn't.

_I can't allow myself to become light-headed, that's the last thing I need._ He thought.

He attached the scythe back and turned forward only to come face to face with a small swirling sphere of purple and black color. Dante was startled and jumped to the side of the stairs with his hands spread, ready to grasp the scythe if needed.

But nothing happened as the purple sphere just floated there in the air, unmoving.

"What is this?" Dante muttered.

Suddenly, the sphere shuddered and began to move upward, following an invisible path up the stairs. Dante couldn't be more dumbfounded, but nevertheless returned to the stairs and followed the sphere closely, his eyes never losing sight of it.

After about a minute or so, the sphere stopped and did not move, leaving Dante a couple of steps below it. It did not move.

Dante looked around and said, "Well?"

As if by cue, the sphere let out a scaling sphere of purple energy that washed over the cloud cover and burned it away to reveal a very large house sitting at the top of the mountain. Dante looked back at the sphere but found it had disappeared completely, all that remained was the house.

He narrowed his eyes and carefully stepped forward over the next couple stairs that led up to the front of the house.

"How is this all possible?" Dante asked himself as he observed and sized up the house. It was painted mostly black with some trimmings of purple and gold but besides that it didn't look too appealing to him.

He reached the front of the house and looked around.

Nobody around.

He raised his voice and shouted, "I wish to speak with the Dark Sovereign!" at the top of his voice.

A couple seconds passed and there was no answer.

"I know you're here!" he added, but still no reply.

_I will not be defeated by the silence of this woman._ His mind growled.

His left hand drifted to his scythe, "I will personally tear this house apart unless you face me Dark Sovereign! I have little time for any games!"

Suddenly, there was a creaking in the wood work as the left side of the door slowing opened inward and Dante was greeted by the appearance of a rather lavish house...and the same sphere of energy floating in the air he had seen before.

He narrowed his eyes as he slowly stepped inside and the sphere moved backward to allow him entrance as the door closed behind him. He looked back and shook his head as he turned to face the sphere, "Where is the Dark Sovereign?" he asked impatiently.

The sphere responded by suddenly turning black and emitting a blaring tone before returning to its natural purple color and moving up a staircase to the right. Dante rolled his eyes and began to follow.

He couldn't believe he was actually following a flying ball of energy that was leading him through the home of the Dark Sovereign, whom he imagined already knew was here. The ball led him across lavish rooms, kitchens, and a single large bedroom that he had to admit looked quite like overkill.

Finally, the sphere stopped at the end of a long hallway in front of a single doorway and moved aside, as if motioning for Dante to open it.

Dante looked at the sphere before moving forward and opening the door without hesitation. He looked around and found the room similar to the grand hallway in Zed's temple but it was much smaller, supported by three pillars each on each of the north, south, east, and west walls.

He stepped forward into the illuminated part of the room and looked around, becoming increasingly annoyed at the Dark Sovereign's games. He was about to speak out when a new voice entered the room, "It's been a long time since I've had any guests."

Dante looked forward to see a strikingly beautiful women with long silver hair _float_ into view from the darkness on the other side of the room. Dante was disgusted that the woman was so scantily clothed, all she really wore was a sort of black long skirt over her waist, black and purple chest piece that looked a bit like armor to him, and an elaborate headdress that curved upward into twin spikes.

Most noticeable about her was her glowing purple eyes.

_Stranger and stranger_ thought Dante.

He said, "Are you the Dark Sovereign?"

The woman laughed from her gloating position, "Please, call me Syndra, the Dark Sovereign is a name used by little pesky summoners who don't have the strength to use my real name."

She sized him up and asked, "And who might my guest be?"

Dante replied, "I am Dante Alighieri."

Syndra raised an eyebrow, "Well...you certainly are a bit of eye candy aren't you?" she said almost seductively. Dante growled and said, "I really don't have time for your games Syndra."

However, the woman was still very interested in him, notably his body, "What'd you do? Cut yourself open shaving?" she taunted.

Dante snarled, "For your information, this symbol dictates every sin that I have committed, sins so horrendous that I make even the most atrocious criminals look like amateurs, for that, I carry it with my eternally, so that I may know guilt and suffering."

Syndra smirked, "Kind of a sucky life don't you think?"

"I wouldn't expect you to know." he crossed his arms.

The woman smiled and placed held her face in her right hand, "So you come all this way just to tell me your done playing games? What games have I played with my new toy? I'd love to find out."

He swallowed and said, "I understand from Zed that it was you that blocked the only passageway to Northeastern Ionia. Care to explain why?"

Syndra's eyes glowed and she sneered, "What does it matter to you?"

Dante replied, "Zed has is own reasons, I in turn am seeking passage to mainland Valoran, and the only way to secure passage way is in the Capital City to the Northeast."

The woman just floated there for a second before laughing, "How about...no."

"What?" Dante asked, shocked, "What could possibly annoy you so much in that passage that you won't removed simple boulders and allow people to pass through it?"

Syndra suddenly flew into a rage, "EVERYTHING! In that passage is the village that was the home of my foolish master, the same man who sought to control my ever growing power. He is a damn fool for even trying! I don't care if that little shadow man who plays with tiny knives needs that passage reopened, I will make sure no remnant of my former master remains."

Dante now understood that this woman seriously had a grudge against the people that tried to control her, "I don't understand, didn't you know that with your growing power you might hurt somebody, or people would look at you as dangerous?"

Syndra snarled, "The only people who did so were blind to the amount of energy they could have had if they had followed _my _ways, just think about it, the power to do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. No restrictions, no rules, no guidelines...just point and SHOOT!" she cried as she extended her hand forward and Dante was suddenly blown across the room by a purple shockwave.

He tumbled and rolled to his feet at the far end of the room and cried, "I do not seek a fight! There is always a peaceful solution to this!"

The Sovereign however, was not paying any attention to him, instead, she raised her hands as three of the familiar spheres of purple energy began to circle around here, "If you think I'm simply going to bow down the words of some man who thinks he knows suffering then you're sadly mistaken!" she screeched as she motioned forward with her hand and one of the spheres leaped out of orbit and slammed down at Dante's position, knocking him off his feet again.

Syndra shot out her opposite hand and another sphere flew out and embedded itself in a large steel beam that sat against the wall, she motioned her hand forward and the beam rose and flew out at Dante.

Dante gritted his teeth and brought the scythe down in an overhead arc and easily sliced through the beam.

The woman raised an eyebrow but laughed once again as she began tossing sphere after sphere Dante's way, preventing him from getting anywhere near her.

"This is child's play Dante! Are you ever going to attack? I don't think so!" she laughed.

Dante rolled to his feet after evading yet another sphere and new he was going to have to do something different than just slicing and dicing with his scythe. Thinking quickly, he muttered a quick prayer to his heavenly father and was instantly surprised to find himself filled with a holy energy that flowed through his veins.

He looked behind him and saw his back was glowing and knew he had summoned his divine armor-now was the time to finish the woman.

Syndra's eyes grew wide as she saw what looked like wings of light appear on Dante's back and they illuminated the dark room. Growling, she threw more spheres at him but as they impacted him, they simply evaporated.

Dante rushed forth and attached the scythe to his back and grabbed ahold of the cross. Syndra screamed and extended her hands so that all her spheres suddenly rushed at Dante. The energy overwhelmed his armor and caused it to disappear but left the wearer unharmed as he jumped up and shot a light cross into Syndra.

The woman screamed as her vision was suddenly brightened to a painful white and Dante kicked into her lightly armored stomach and knocked her onto her back. He quickly grabbed ahold of her throat and brought her face to his, "I know you don't want to die because you have a full pathetic life in front of you gathering power like a monger. Take us back to Zed's temple, which by your gloating of your power I know you can do. We both have our issues with you."

The woman gritted her teeth and sneered, "And if I refuse?"

Dante smiled, "I drag you back there like the crying infant you are, always wanting attention but is never going to receive it."

Syndra glared at him ominously but realized she was at the lower end of the spectrum, "Fine, but this isn't going to be a one and done deal." she said as Dante let go and she pushed him off of her.

She floated to the middle of the room and motioned her hands so that a sphere expanded far beyond its normal size to form a sort of swirling portal. The image manifesting in the middle of the portal was of the jungle, which was again covered by night.

For a couple of moments she moved her arms to try and locate the temple but sighed and turned back to him, "I have no idea where this place is."

Dante rolled his eyes and walked forward to give Syndra directions on where to focus the portal, "Up...up...more to the left...no right...down...yes there it is." he said, pointing to the cluster of orange lights that hung from posts around Zed's temple.

"Curious, I always thought that was just a settlement of villagers that used to live around here. Pity, I was thinking about destroying them the other day." she smiled thoughtfully. She looked down at Dante and saw him motion his head to the side and say, "You first."

Syndra smirked and floated forward into the portal, soon followed by Dante.

The teleportation was rather uneventful in its one second duration, which Dante had to thank her for. He emerged from the portal to find the pair inside the temple in the exact same place he had dueled with Zed-the grand hallway.

Zed himself was back in his meditative pose but his glowing red eyes appeared the moment Syndra stepped through the portal. He flashed forward using a shadow as many of his warriors began to manifest near the pillars and on the ceiling.

"**So you managed to convince that pitiful excuse for a league champion to come here, well done Dante.**" Zed nodded at him.

Dante nodded back and turned to Syndra who spoke, "Well if it isn't the little man obsessed with his shadows and tiny knives, you're nothing but a toy to me you little prick." she snarled.

Zed laughed, "**Remember, it was not I that was subdued by this warrior Syndra, perhaps you'd best learn that your power can be matched by anyone.**"

Syndra snarled, "You're wrong! No one can attain the level of power I can, you and your shadows are nothing before me! Weaklings!" she said.

"**Your power means nothing. Now, remove the heavy boulders blocking the Northeast passage. Your little grudge against your former master is at an end.**" Zed said.

"Oh? Like yours hasn't either? I know Zed, I know it was you that killed Shen's father, your _own _former master, do not act like either of us is different. I am trying to rid myself of his memories and teachings just as hard as you are." Syndra pointed at him.

"**I care not for that man's memory! I will never be able to stamp it out unless I can summon an army strong enough to defeat that blasted Eye of the Twilight! And you are not helping by blocking passage to my recruits!**" Zed snapped.

Dante noticed his blades had extended.

"That makes two of us." Syndra smiled evilly as the spheres of energy began to form around her waist. Zed's shadow warriors began to drop onto the floor and began to circle the Dark Sovereign.

Syndra continued, "If you were are so powerful, and this is Shen's former temple, then why haven't you defeated him already? Awww...is the little knife man too weak to fight a fellow champion?"

Zed snarled and flashed forward but Syndra shot out a sphere that imbedded itself in Zed's armor, she beckoned the sphere forward as Zed struggled to free himself as he was brought through the air towards Syndra until they were face to face.

"Look at the little man now, his shadows can do nothing to help him...you are WEAK!" she said.

"**I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you.**" Zed replied as he reared back with a blade.

Suddenly, the floor around the two rocked and the shockwave caused Syndra to stumble and lose control of the sphere imbedded in Zed's armor. The assassin was not spared either as he was forced backward and he landed on his back with a ***THUD***.

The two looked to the side and saw Dante with his scythe slammed into the ground and a light retreating into the point of impact, "Enough of this childish bickering! I have seen politicians and bishops solve problems faster than you! None of this is needed as it wasn't in the first place!"

He turned to Syndra, "You. You're grudge against your master can continue for the duration of your woeful life in your own black heart, do not let others suffer for your own transgressions."

He then turned to Zed, "And you, I brought you the Dark Sovereign, now show me the way through Northeastern Ionia."

The two league champions looked at Dante then at each other before dusting themselves off and coming together with Dante in the middle of the hallway. When they had done so, a shadow warrior came up and handed Dante a map. He opened it and found it was a direct map of the passage way and to Ionia's capital in the northeast. The two men then turned to Syndra.

Syndra placed her hands on her hips and looked at the two, "Huh, men. Fine, I will comply and remove the boulders."

Dante and Zed both breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Syndra placed an index finger in her mouth and said, "...But since you two are technically at my mercy, I want something in return." she said.

Zed was about to motion for Dante to shut his mouth when the inferno traveler spoke up, "Name it."

Syndra chewed on her finger and looked at Dante but then suddenly snapped to Zed, who was taken aback by the her stare. She smiled seductively and floated forward until the two were mere inches apart. She traced her left index finger on his helm and with her other hand-used a sphere to shockingly dissolve Zed's helm-revealing a tan man with short black hair and red irises, a sinister frown forming on his face.

"I want you to have a candle light dinner with me...NOW." she stated.

Zed was so revolted by her statement that he said, "**What? No! Absolutely not! I will not be made into a...**"

He caught sight of Dante who had his arms crossed over his chest and saw he was tapping on his cross on his hip.

For only the second time in his life, Zed felt defeat.

"**Huhhh...Fine.**" Zed growled as he pointed to Dante and said, "**You. Get out of my sight.**"

Dante happily complied and pocketed the map and turned to walk away out the back. He turned back once again to see Syndra beckoning to Zed with a single finger as she floated backwards into portal.

Zed hung his head in complete shame and walked towards the portal but not before turning back to his warriors and saying, "**Kill anyone that tries to enter this temple.**" he said as he turned to Dante and frowned before following Syndra into the portal.

A few hours later, Dante was at the midpoint in the rocky Northeastern passage and found many large boulders seated on the cliffs above him. It looked as though they had originally been on the floor of the passage.

_So Syndra complied...at Zed's expense_ Dante thought as he looked back, he could no longer see Zed's temple nor the lonely mountain that was Syndra's home and he could not help but feel an ounce of pity for the Master of Shadows as he was currently at the mercy of the Dark Sovereign.

_Poor Zed _Dante laughed in his head as he continued traveling under the twilight sky. In a couple hours time, he reached the end of the Northeast passage and looked down off of its high point to see Ionia's harbor capital glowing with nighttime activity in the distance.

Dante then removed the pack of supplies off of his back and held it up and looked it over, saying, "I have no idea how you've remained with me this whole time."


End file.
